Mystic Styles
by nignonymous
Summary: Remnant is under siege from an invasion of creatures known as "Demons". With the fate of their world hanging in the balance, Ruby and her friends will do whatever they have to in order to survive. Caught between the pull of the forces of Law and Chaos, some will find themselves driven to actions they never thought possible. cover by rainbow-zebra23
1. What's a Tokyo?

The world was dead. The oceans had dried long ago, the air was thick with poison, and where once cities and nations stood was only endless stretches of sand. On the withered husk that was once a planet teeming with life, two figures fought for dominance.

On one side was the angel. It fought for its Lord, and the order it pledged its existence to. It had thrown away its thoughts and feelings long ago. It was nothing more than a machine doing what it was built to do.

On the other side was the demon. It fought for freedom, to create a world where one could shape their own destiny. To increase its power it consumed humans, demons, and angels alike. In the end there were few beings that could match its strength.

The angel swung its sword and fired innumerable spears of light at the demon. Each one burned hotter than flame. They would destroy anything that they touched.

Except for the demon. The darkness it commanded was just as powerful as the angel's light. The demon ran through the spears. Each step it took shook the ground. It leapt at the angel and struck with its fist. The impact of the blow was like a hurricane. The angel drove its sword into the ground to keep from being blown away.

The two exchanged blows. Each swing of the angel's sword had the power to split mountains in two. The demon's fists could tear holes in space. The two were equals in power. They had clashed several times before, but after today there would not be another.

The angel took to the air and gathered its strength. A massive blue ball of swirling energy appeared over its head.

The demon grinned at the challenge and summoned its own power. It gathered its energy into its hand, until it formed into a mass of dark red energy.

The two monsters prepared to end their long, bloody battle. Watching all of this was the human, their body broken beyond repair. Despite all of their efforts, the battles they fought, and the comrades they had lost, this was the result. There was nothing more they could do but watch as the two beings fought for control of a world that had long since died away.

The two attacks collided, and everything around them was destroyed, including the human neither one knew was there.

XxX

Ruby's head was throbbing when she woke up. She had the same dream again. Ever since that day in the tunnels she'd had the exact same dream every night.

"Hey Rubes," a voice called out to her.

"Hey Yang," Ruby responded.

Yang took a closer look at Ruby. "Hey, are you okay? You don't look so hot."

Ruby smiled at her sister. "I'm fine, really."

Yang shrugged. "Okay. I'll meet you in the forest."

Yang grabbed her things and left the room. Ruby went to the bathroom and splashed water on her face. Looking in the mirror she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Same red and black hair, same silver eyes, same round face. She wasn't missing any limbs and her face wasn't scarred and burnt beyond recognition. The person she kept seeing in her dream couldn't have been her.

But at the same time she couldn't shake the dread that the dream brought. She had read countless stories about people who dreamt of the future, and the thought that what she had imagined could happen shook her to her core.

Ruby vigorously shook her head and pushed those thoughts out of her mind. Her team was waiting for her. She left her room and went to retrieve her weapon.

On the way to her locker she noticed a pair of students mingling in the hallway. One was a well-built blond boy, the other slim with long black hair.

Ruby waved at her friends. "Hey Jaune, Ren. What're you guys doing?"

Jaune raised his fist. "I'm trying to get Ren to teach me that aura strike thing he does."

"And I've told you that I can't do that. If you make a mistake with that technique you could lose your arm," Ren replied.

Jaune threw his hands up in exasperation. "Aw come on. What's life without a little risk?"

"That technique took me years to learn. It's not something just anyone can do."

Ruby started laughing. "Good luck." As she started to walk away a thought crossed her mind. "Can I ask you guys something? Have you ever had a really weird dream?"

Jaune nodded. "Yeah, one time I dreamt that I was buried under a giant pile of marshmallows."

Both Ruby and Ren looked at Jaune.

Jaune blushed slightly. "What? You asked."

Ruby shook her head. "Never mind. I gotta go."

After grabbing her weapon from her locker she made the journey to the forest.

XxX

When Ruby arrived the first person she noticed was her partner with her arms crossed and a stern expression on her face. Her foot was rapidly tapping against the ground.

"You are late," Weiss said.

"Hello to you too," Ruby replied.

Weiss pointed at Ruby. "You're the one who called us out here, I expect you to be on time."

Yang waved dismissively. "Who cares about time? She's here now isn't she?"

Weis scoffed. "There is nothing wrong with being punctual."

Blake yawned. "Why are we out here again?"

Ruby's smile fell off her face. "Because we need to step up. We failed our mission and a lot of people got hurt. That can't happen again."

"Not that I disagree, but I didn't fail my objective."

"Hey, next time I see that little midget I'll clean her clock," Yang interjected.

Ruby sighed. "That's why we're here." She smiled again. "To that end, Team RWBY's super amazing training is about to begin!" She pulled a sheet of paper out of her pocket. "Yang, you and Weiss are going to spar while I work with Blake."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Why do I have to fight Yang?"

"Because you got manhandled. You've got the techniques down, but if the enemy overpowers you then you're at a disadvantage."

Yang snickered.

Ruby continued. "And Yang, you were just out skilled. You've got the power, but it doesn't mean anything if you can't hit your opponent. That's why you're going to fight Weiss."

Yang ground her teeth at the sight of Weiss' smug grin. "Fine. What about you and Blake?"

"I need to work on my defense. I can't really think of any areas Blake needs to improve in."

Blake's bow wiggled. "Yeah, I'm pretty much perfect."

Ruby raised her weapon. "Let's get started."

She shot towards Blake like a rocket and swung her scythe. Blake was cut in half, the two parts of her body falling to the ground. The pieces faded away as Blake appeared above Ruby. Blake swung her weapon and struck Ruby in the back of her neck, sending her crashing into the ground.

Ruby staggered to her feet breathing heavily. "How did you do that?"

Blake sheathed her sword. "You're fast, but when you move in a straight line like that it's easy to dodge."

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck. Her aura kept her from getting seriously injured, but it still hurt like nothing else. "Got it." she looked around at the trees surrounding her and got an idea. She shot towards a tree and banked off of it into another. She went from tree to tree faster than most would be able to follow.

Except for Blake. Her eyes could track almost anything. She tightened her grip on her sword and waited for her chance.

Ruby closed the distance between her and Blake. Blake prepared to counter when Ruby activated her semblance a second time and changed direction. She swung her scythe and struck Blake in the side. She waited for an opening. Sure enough Blake had avoided the attack with her semblance and was preparing to counter. Ruby spun her weapon and pointed the barrel right at Blake. Blake's eyes widened as Ruby pulled the trigger. The bullet struck Blake in the head and sent her to the ground.

Ruby landed and brushed off her clothes. "How was that?"

Blake rubbed her forehead. "Better."

In another part of the forest Yang and Weiss were staring each other down.

Yang cracked her knuckles and donned her gauntlets. "You ready Ice Queen?"

Weiss drew her sword. "I was born ready."

Yang charged towards Weiss and swung her fist towards Weiss' face. Weiss dodged and stabbed Yang in the stomach. Yang recovered and punched at Weiss again. Weiss stepped to the side and stabbed Yang below her armpit. This continued for a moment. Yang couldn't land a solid hit on Weiss. The way she moved was like she was dancing. She used quick strikes to throw Yang off balance. Yang was like a helpless child before Weiss' technique.

She spun the cylinder on her sword and loaded the ice type dust. She stabbed at the ground and encased Yang in a pillar of ice.

For a few seconds nothing happened, then the ground shook and the pillar exploded. A yellow streak shot towards Weiss. Before Weiss could react Yang buried her fist into Weiss' stomach and sent her flying into a tree. Weiss rolled onto her side clutching her stomach.

"Alright, I think that's enough," Ruby said. She walked in between the two of them. "This went way different in my head."

She helped Weiss to her feet. "You were doing pretty good there for a second."

Weiss brushed herself off. "I had it under control."

"If this were a real fight Yang would have killed you."

Yang grinned at Weiss.

Ruby turned toward her sister. "Yang, you rely too much on your semblance. That's how you lost last time. You need to start thinking of a better way to fight."

"Alright alright," Yang said with a grin. "When did you become all responsible?"

"I don't know. I just feel like something's about to happen, and we need to be ready for it."

Yang wrapped her arms around Ruby. "You're worrying too much. We can handle anything that comes our way."

"You're right."

Ruby saw something in the distance. It looked like a person sitting in a chair. They slowly moved out of her view.

"Did you guys see that?"

"See what?" Weiss asked.

"I looked like someone in a wheelchair."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "A wheelchair? How would anyone have gotten down here in that?"

Ruby grabbed her weapon. "They might be in danger. I'll be right back."

She sprinted off into the forest.

Yang sighed. "Some things never change."

Deep in the forest Ruby tried to find a sign of the person she saw. She kept getting glimpses of them but wasn't any closer to catching up to them. That made no sense. Wheelchair or no there were few people who could outrun Ruby at full speed.

As she weaved through the trees she caught another glimpse of the person and sped up. She took another step but instead of the soft forest grass her boot landed on hard stone. All of the ambient sounds of the forest were gone, replaced with complete and total silence. Ruby was standing in a corridor with burning torches hanging on the walls. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

No one answered. The hall extended forever in either direction. Ruby sighed. There was nothing she could do but move forward.

She walked for what felt like hours. There were no signs of life anywhere. The silence was starting to get to her. She kept going until she saw a door in the distance. With renewed vigor she ran toward it. It was an ordinary looking door with a normal looking knob. She tested it and found that it wasn't locked. She slowly opened the door and went inside.

There was a man typing furiously on a laptop. The screen was the only source of light in the room. Like Ruby had thought, the man was in a wheelchair. He had grey hair, glasses, and wore a red suit. He kept typing like he didn't notice Ruby enter.

Ruby waved at the man. "Um, hi."

The man looked up at Ruby. "Hello."

There was a long silence. Every second that passed only heightened Ruby's discomfort.

"Where am I?" Ruby asked.

"This is a place known as the Expanse. It's something like a dimension outside of our own."

Ruby didn't understand it at all. "Okay. My name's Ruby Rose. What's your name?"

The man placed a hand on his chin. "My name is Stephen. Are you a hunter from Tokyo?"

"What's a Tokyo?"

There was another awkward silence.

Stephen coughed. "Are you American by any chance?"

Ruby shook her head. "No idea what that is either."

Stephen adjusted his glasses. "I see. Where are you from then?"

"I'm from Patch, but right now I'm living in Vale."

"Hmmm. This may sound like a strange question, but what planet are you from?"

"Remnant."

Stephen went back to typing at his computer. "I see. Remnant, a planet under siege by creatures called Grimm, governed over by two gods of light and darkness, only four thousand years old. Fascinating."

Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "Where are you from?"

Stephen adjusted his glasses. "I am from a place called Earth, but that isn't important at the moment."

"Are you sure? Maybe I can help you get home."

"That won't be necessary I assure you. More importantly the fact that you are speaking with me is quite significant. You will soon be at the center of a great upheaval. The world as you know it will soon come to an end, and you will decide what shape the new world takes."

Ruby took a moment to process what she had just heard.

"The world is ending? Isn't that really bad?" Ruby said.

"That is merely one possibility. As I said, you will be the one to decide the fate of your world."

Ruby sighed. "I have enough on my plate as a Hunter, and now this too? I can't catch a break can I?"

"Do not worry, I will offer you some assistance. You should find it when you wake up."

"What do you mean 'when I wake up'?"

XxXxX

Ruby felt someone shaking her.

"Ruby, come one Ruby wake up."

Ruby slowly opened her eyes. "Where am I?"

Yang's face was filled with worry. "You're in the nurse's office. Blake found you passed out in the forest."

Ruby looked to her side and saw Blake and Weiss standing next to each other.

"How long was I out?"

"Almost three hours," Weiss said. She walked up and looked down at Ruby. "What happened?"

Ruby sat up in her bed. "I was running through the forest, and I saw this guy, and next thing I know I'm in some kind of dungeon."

"A dungeon?" Blake asked.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah. And then I see this door, and I go inside and there's this guy typing on a computer."

"What guy?" Weiss asked.

"He said his name was Stephen. He said that he wasn't from Remnant. He told me that the world was about to change. It sounded like something really bad was about to happen."

Yang sighed. "At least you're alright. Maybe you should talk to Ozpin about it."

Ruby got out of the bed and stretched. "Sure."

As she was walking out of the nurse's office all four of the girls' scrolls let out a strange jingle. A woman's voice came from the scrolls at the same time.

"The Demon Summoning Program has been successfully installed."


	2. Hee-Ho!

Ruby stood in Ozpin's office and relayed the events that transpired to him and Glynda.

Ozpin took a sip of coffee. "So this man called himself Stephen?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah. He asked me if I was from a place called Earth. Do you know what that is?"

Ozpin shook his head. "That's not a name I've ever heard before."

"Wow, if you've never heard of it then he really isn't from Remnant. Actually he kind of looked like you. Is he your brother?"

Ozpin smiled. "No, I was an only child. I would have liked to have a brother, but my parents were satisfied with only one."

"And we are all quite grateful for that," Glynda said.

Ozpin coughed. "In any case, we will investigate this matter further. You have nothing to worry about."

Ruby shrugged. "If you say so."

Ruby got up and walked to the elevator. After a few minutes Glynda rounded on Ozpin.

"What do you mean 'nothing to worry about'? Stephen is here and he's already distributed the Program. You know what it means if she was able to speak with him."

Ozpin took another drink. "Panicking now would do no good for anyone. We have to do everything we can to prepare." He grabbed his cane and jacket.

"Where are you going?" Glynda asked

"To talk to the council. I need you to send word to General Ironwood, and Qrow if you can. If this is what I think it is then we need to gather our forces."

"Understood." She paused for a moment. "What's our worst case scenario?"

Ozpin shrugged. "The total annihilation of Remnant. But as you said, that is the worst case scenario."

XxX

Once Ruby was back in Beacon she tried using the Demon Summoning Program. The logo was a five pointed star surrounded by strange letters she couldn't read.

Once the program was open a list of options appeared.

"Roster, Compendium, FAQ, huh, one of the options is greyed out. Wonder why?"

She scrolled through the list of frequently asked questions.

 _Q: What is the Demon Summoning Program?_

 _A: The Demon Summoning Program is a state of the art application that allows humans to bind powerful creatures known as demons to their control_

 _Q: What is a demon?_

 _A: Demons are creatures from legend or myth. Some are low level spirits, while others command unimaginable power_

 _Q: How does the Demon Summoning Program work?_

 _A: That information is classified_

 _Q: Who made the program?_

 _A: That information is classified_

 _Q: Why was this installed to my phone?_

 _A: That information is classified_

Ruby was left with more questions than answers after reading through the list. She put away her scroll and kept walking.

As she walked on she saw a pair of students in the hall. One was a tall, broad shouldered student with his arm wrapped around the neck of another, smaller student. The tall student was grinding his knuckles into the smaller student's head, laughing the whole while.

"What are you doing Cardin?"

The tall student noticed Ruby. "What's up short stuff? Hey, you seen Jaune around?"

"He was here earlier. Why are you looking for him?"

The smaller student looked like he was about to slip away, but Cardin tightened his grip. "Don't worry about it."

Ruby looked at the student squirming in Cardin's grip. He had a pair of pointed ears on top of his head. "Why are you the way that you are?"

"Huh?" he said as he looked down on the other student. "Oh. Don't worry, he's fine. Isn't that right buddy?"

The student whimpered helplessly.

Cardin ground his knuckles into the boy's head even harder than before. "You see Jaune tell him I'm looking for him."

Ruby left Cardin to it. She went to the library to meet with her team. Hopefully they had better luck than her.

XxX

Ruby sat at a table in the library with the rest of her teammates. Looking around the room was filled with students milling about and fiddling with their scrolls. The Program had been distributed to every student in the school.

Blake sighed and put her head in her hands. "So after reading every book on the subject I have no idea what a demon is. There're hundreds of books and research papers on the Grimm, but nothing about demons."

"I tried talking to all the professors, and none of them know either," Weiss added.

"I don't think this is something we'll find in a book," Yang said. She turned toward Ruby. "Did that Stephen guy say anything about them?"

Ruby shook her head. "All he said was that the program was his way of helping us. If he did know anything more he didn't tell me."

"Are we sure that guy's on the level?"

"He didn't seem like a bad guy. I think we can trust him for now."

Weiss leaned back in her chair. "We could really use a break."

The four sat in silence.

Until all four of their scrolls started ringing. It was the distress signal, used only in emergencies. Mostly it was used while they were out training and a student encountered monsters that were beyond their abilities.

"Wonder what that's about," Yang said. She looked at her scroll and saw that a familiar name had sent it out.

"Jaune?"

The four girls looked at each other with looks of concern.

"This can't be a coincidence," Weiss said. "Do you think they found a demon and it…?"

Ruby cut her off. "If he could send out a distress signal then he's still alive. Come on, we have to help him."

The four girls grabbed their weapons and made a mad dash for the forest.

XxX

Ruby and her team went down to the forest where Jaune was waiting. He sat near a tree with the rest of his team.

Ruby ran up to Jaune. "Are you okay?"

Jaune shrugged. "Busted leg, pretty sure I got a couple broken ribs, other than that I'm good."

"What happened?" Yang asked.

Jaune pointed to the distance. "That."

Ruby looked to where Jaune was pointing. There was something standing there. At first she thought it was a Grimm, but it was the wrong color. Its body was completely white. Aside from the black eyes and mouth and its blue hat, boots, and collar it was all white.

"What is that?" Weiss asked.

Jaune glanced toward it. "I got no idea. We found it while we were walking through the forest. It's not a Grimm, that's for sure."

"Do you think this might be a demon?" Blake asked.

Jaune groaned. "Is that what that is? Explains a lot."

Ruby took a step forward, but Jaune stuck an arm out.

"I wouldn't get too close to it. That thing is way stronger than it looks."

It was at that point that Ruby looked at Jaune and noticed the large shard of ice sticking out of his leg. Then she noticed Jaune's other teammates unconscious buried under a pile of snow.

Ruby gasped. "What happened?"

"We were walking through the forest when that thing appeared. We tried going past it and it attacked us. Punched right through our aura."

The demon stood there with a smile on its face. It didn't look very strong, but Ruby knew that underestimating it was a bad idea.

"Why did you attack my friends?" she asked.

The demon laughed. "This hee-whole forest is my territory. They wanted to pass through without paying the toll, ho. I couldn't take that disrespect lying down, ho."

Ruby readied her weapon. She blitzed towards the demon and struck down onto its head. It screamed in pain and clutched its head while rolling on the ground.

"Ouch. That hee-hurts!"

Ruby glared at the flailing demon. "Do you want me to hit you again?"

"No way! Have mercy on me, ho. You're pretty strong. How about I join you?"

"What?"

"I'm Jack Frost the fairy. Nice to meet you, ho."

The demon dissolved into particles of light that flowed into Ruby's scroll.

A voice appeared from the scroll.

"A new demon has been acquired."

Ruby looked at the scroll and saw that indeed Jack Frost had come under her control. She looked up its information in the compendium.

 _Jack Frost_

 _Fairy Race_

 _A demon that attacks using ice magic. It appears weak, but can kill unsuspecting enemies by burying them in snow._

It was the only demon whose information was visible. Ruby figured that the only way to fill the compendium was to capture more of them.

Her teammates ran to join her.

"What just happened?" Blake asked.

Ruby pocketed her scroll. "That was definitely a demon. There must be more, probably all over Remnant."

Yang shrugged. "Eh, if they're all as weak as that thing then we've got nothing to worry about."

Blake and Weiss pulled Jaune's teammates from underneath the massive pile of snow.

"They're still breathing, but they need a doctor," Weiss said. She pulled some red dust out of her bag and spread it on them. "This should warm them up at least."

Ruby knelt down next to Jaune. "I'm going to get help, you just wait here."

Jaune glanced at his bent leg. "No problem, not like I'm going anywhere."

There was a rustling sound coming from the top of the tree. A tiny head poked out from between the leaves.

"Is he gone?"

Ruby pointed her weapon at the source of the voice.

The tiny figure panicked. "Whoa, put that down. I'm not an enemy."

It flew down from the tree it was hiding in. It was a small female with wings. She had orange hair, pointed ears, and was wearing a purple leotard.

"Who are you?" Ruby asked.

"I'm Pixie. You took out that Jack Frost right?"

Ruby nodded. "Did you have some kind of problem with him?"

"Yeah, that guy was a real jerk. He acted like he was the Fairy King or something. I was waiting for someone to knock him down a peg."

"That's nice, but I need to get my friend some help."

Pixie looked at Jaune's leg. "Oh, is that all? I can take care of that."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I know healing magic."

Pixie floated down to Jaune's leg and waved her hands over it. A pale blue light shone over his leg and Jaune felt the broken bone mend itself.

Jaune tenderly moved his leg. "No way, it's healed." He rose to his feet. "Thanks so much. You think you could help my friends too?"

Pixie smiled. "Sure. Actually now that I get a good look at you you're really cute. I think I'll travel with you from now on."

Jaune grinned at the small demon. "Sure, just help my friends first."

Pixie healed Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha. The three of them groggily rose to their feet.

Jaune ran up and put his arms around his three teammates. "I'm so glad you guys are okay."

"What happened?" Ren asked.

"You got knocked out. Ruby beat that demon and saved us."

Pixie floated above Jaune and landed on his head. "Now then, I'm Pixie of the Fairy clan. Please treat me well master."

Similar to Jack Frost, the Pixie dissolved into particles of light and flowed into Jaune's scroll.

A voice came from Jaune's scroll

"A new demon has been acquired."

Jaune looked at her Compendium entry.

 _Pixie_

 _Fairy Race_

 _A mischievous demon that enjoys playing pranks on people. They are part of a strict hierarchy, of which the fairy king and queen are the top. Legend has it that there is a Pixie that is even stronger than the fairy king._

Yang clapped Jaune on the back. "Congrats on getting your first demon Jaune."

Jaune smiled. "Thanks, but what's a demon?"

Blake's bow twitched. The forest was filled with the sound of combat. They weren't the only ones who had encountered the demons. "We should get out of here."

The eight students ran back towards the school. On the way they saw other students in battle with various demons. Some looked much stronger than the ones Jaune had encountered. It was all they could do to get away themselves.

xXx

Back in Team RWBY's dorm the eight students shared information with each other. Jaune gave a more detailed account of what had happened earlier.

"We were in the forest training when that thing appeared. It started going on about how we needed to pay tax. It kept asking for this thing called 'Macca', but I've got no idea what that is. We tried going past it and it stabbed me in the leg. It went right through my aura. After I went down it attacked Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha. That's when I sent out the distress signal."

Pyrrha placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "I can't thank you enough for helping us. If you hadn't gotten there when you did we would have died."

Ruby shrugged. "It's no problem. I know you would have done the same for me."

Nora raised her hand like they were in class. "So, what exactly were those things we saw?"

Ruby told them about her dreams, her meeting with Stephen, and the Demon Summoning Program.

Ren tapped his chin thoughtfully. "This is quite troubling. Those dreams and these demons are certainly connected."

"Do you think it's a dream of the future?" Nora asked.

Ruby fought the urge to vomit as she recalled the vivid imagery of her dreams. Of the once vibrant world turned into a barren wasteland, all of her friends and family dead, and her body being reduced to ashes in the final battle. "If there are demons that can do that to Remnant then what chance do we have?"

Jaune placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Don't be so down Ruby. Maybe this is what that Stephen guy meant when he said he wanted to help you. We can use the Program to save the world."

"Jaune is right, for once," Weiss said. "Even if that dream is of the future, there's nothing that says the future can't be changed."

Ruby looked at her scroll. If harnessing the power of the demons was the only way to prevent the disaster she dreamt of then she had no choice but to do it.

"You're right. We can do this, we can save Remnant."

All of the student's scrolls started ringing. A familiar voice rang through the room.

"This is Glynda Goodwitch. As of this moment the Forever Fall Forest and Emerald Forest are restricted areas. No student is to enter without the explicit permission of one of the teachers. Any student currently located in those areas is to evacuate immediately and return to the school. If you are unable to evacuate, then send a distress signal. A member of the staff will be there to retrieve you shortly."

She said those words as casually as she would address a room full of students. Even in a time of crisis Glynda kept a cool head.

Once the day was over the nurse's office was overrun with dozens of injured students. Later on, they would look back on this day as a fond memory. Compared to the horror that would come later, injured students would have been seen as a blessing.


	3. One Demon

Ozpin couldn't remember the last time he had met with the councilors in person. Normally whatever he needed to say to them could be said over the phone. But this wasn't a normal event. This would factor into whether or not Vale survived the crisis that was coming. After a short bullhead ride and a brisk walk he was outside Vale's capitol building.

He walked through the large wooden doors and into the council's chamber. Inside were the other councilors. They were the leaders of Vale. They controlled most of the kingdom. Trade, law enforcement, culture, everything passed through them. Ozpin was one of the only people on Remnant who could intrude upon them unannounced.

The first councilor smiled at Ozpin. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I have come to discuss a matter of grave importance," Ozpin replied.

The second councilor waved dismissively. "Is it so important that you can't say it over the phone?"

"Yes. As I said, this is not something to be taken lightly."

The third councilor interjected. "What is it professor?"

Ozpin cleared his throat. "As you are aware, there have been several incidents involving creatures called demons within the past few hours. In addition there has been a certain application installed into the scrolls of Vale's citizens. The two events are connected, I assure you."

The first councilor presented their scroll with the program in plain view. "You are referring to the Demon Summoning Program, correct?"

Ozpin nodded. "Yes, though I would advise against its use. Demons are not to be underestimated. To think that they could be controlled would be the height of folly."

The second councilor scoffed. "As if these demons could be any worse than the Grimm. If it's even possible to bring them under our control, then so much the better."

The third councilor looked at the second. "You cannot be considering using these demons as weapons. If any of the other kingdoms got a hint of that it may start a war."

"Bah! I'd like to see them try. As if Atlas hasn't been conducting illegal experiments for years."

The two councilors went back and forth for a while.

The first councilor raised their hand and silenced the other two. "Professor Ozpin, what is it that you are suggesting?"

Ozpin adjusted his glasses. "Firstly, we must postpone the Vytal Festival Tournament. The demons present far too dangerous a variable, and we cannot put people at risk needlessly."

"All in favor of postponing the Vytal Tournament until further notice say 'aye'."

"Aye," the other two councilors said simultaneously.

Ozpin continued. "Secondly, we should convene with the other kingdoms. The demons present a threat to all of Remnant. If we come together we can keep the damage to a minimum."

"Absolutely not. Placing General Ironwood in charge of security is one thing, but we will not send the message to the other kingdoms that Vale cannot handle its own problems."

While Ozpin wanted to say that there wouldn't be a Vale if this got out of hand, he knew that the councilors were stubborn like that.

"I see. I hope you are making the correct decision."

The second councilor spoke up. "However, seeing as General Ironwood is head of security, I see no issue in making use of his soldiers. With any luck they will be proficient in the use of the Program."

"I have no objections to that," Ozpin replied.

"Is there anything else you would ask of us?" the first councilor asked.

"No," Ozpin replied.

"Then you may take your leave. We look forward to seeing you again."

Ozpin left the hall. He sighed in frustration. The councilors behaved exactly as he knew they would. No matter where he was people never changed.

xXx

The next day Ruby was inconsolable. No one could recall the last time she had been so upset. Not that anyone could blame her.

"I can't believe they cancelled the tournament," Ruby whined. She had been looking forward to it since the beginning of the year. All those students with all of those wonderful weapons. It would have been great.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "How long are you going to keep crying about this?"

"Until I feel better."

Blake sighed. "Come on Ruby, you know they couldn't hold the tournament after what happened. Four of our friends almost died, and a bunch more got injured, and that was all in one day."

Yang nodded in agreement. "Blake's right. Imagine if the demons started attacking during the tournament. It'd be a disaster."

"I get it," Ruby grumbled.

Yang placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "How about this, to make it up we'll all go out clubbing tonight."

"Clubbing where?" Weiss asked.

"Junior's. He owes me so we'll be able to get in for free."

"I thought you said I couldn't go there," Ruby said.

Yang nodded. "True, but just this once I'll make an exception."

Blake frowned. "I don't think this is a good idea. Maybe we should stay in the school for now."

Yang started to laugh. "Come on, times like this are when we should enjoy ourselves the most. Who knows when we'll have another chance to just cut loose?"

Weiss shrugged. "I suppose we could have some fun just for tonight."

The other three girls gave Weiss a bewildered look.

Weiss went red. "What? I like to have fun too."

"Well if Weiss is on board then I am too," Ruby said with a smile.

The four of them made their plans and prepared for their night on the town.

xXx

After a short ride down into the city the four girls walked in the general direction of the club. As they walked they noticed several people milling about playing with their scrolls. A few of them had demons of their own.

"He really did send it out to everyone," Ruby noted. She had no idea what Stephen hoped to accomplish by doing this, but she hoped it was the right decision.

"If you get the chance to talk to him again try asking him about it," Yang said.

Weiss shook her head. "The last time she found him she blacked out in the forest. I think it'd be best if she kept contact with that guy to a minimum."

"Come on guys. We can talk about that tomorrow. Let's just have some fun for now," Ruby said.

The other two nodded in agreement. As they got closer to the club they could hear the pulsing music blasting from within.

"Looks like the party's already started," Yang said.

As if in direct defiance to her words the doors to the club suddenly flew open and a stream of screaming patrons ran out. Each one looked completely terrified.

"What's going on?" Weiss asked.

At that moment a rancid smell wafted towards them. It was like burnt meat.

Ruby clamped her hands over her nose. "It smells like dad's cooking."

The four girls ran inside the club. Inside they saw three things. The first was the corpses strewn across the dance floor. The second was Junior locked in battle against one of the girls that acts as his bouncer. He was bleeding profusely from a hole in his stomach, and one of his eyes had been gouged out. Even so he didn't stop fighting. His strength hadn't faltered in the slightest. The girl, the one in white, didn't seem fazed at all by his attacks. She made no attempt to avoid or defend against Junior's attacks. Her right arm hung limp at her side with a white bone sticking out. That didn't slow her down at all.

Continuing to look around they saw a pile of bodies stacked near the center of the dance floor. Each one was wearing the signature black suit and red glasses that all of Junior's henchmen wore. That was the only way they could be recognized. Their skin was completely black, like they had been burned to death.

Sitting at the top of the pile, laughing like what they were watching was the funniest thing ever, was a single young girl. She had dark purple hair, a white leotard, pointed wings, and a tail.

"That's amazing. Humans are so interesting."

Each member of Team RWBY felt a chill go up their back. That was a demon. It was much stronger than the one they found in the forest.

Ruby pulled out her scroll and tried to call for her weapon. Instead a red X was drawn across the screen.

"No signal? That's impossible."

"It must be because of that demon," Weiss said.

That's when the seriousness of the situation hit them. They had left their weapons at the school with no way to acquire them. An error of this magnitude would likely get them all killed.

Ruby slowly inched back toward the door. The demon simply waved her hand, and the door slammed shut.

The demon looked down at the four girls. "Leaving already? You just got here."

Junior and the girl turned to face them. They shambled towards the four of them.

Yang's brow furrowed. Something was wrong. The way they looked didn't seem right. They moved like they didn't really want to.

She took a step forward. "I'll handle this."

Yang went on the offensive. She ducked under Junior and struck him on the chin. He leaned back like he was about to fall over, but sprang back up. Yang ruthlessly pummeled his body, breaking his ribs and face, but Junior kept attacking. It was like he didn't feel pain at all. Yang felt sick. She was just pounding on meat. If she kept going she would kill him

Junior swung his club at Yang faster than she had expected him to. She was barely able to block in time. She felt her arm break as she was blown across the room. That made no sense. Junior was strong, but not that strong. The power he had now was beyond him. That's when she realized. If the demon was controlling them, then there was a chance that they had the demon's strength as well. It was a long shot, but it was the only explanation.

Yang slowly rose to her feet. Her left arm hung limp at her side.

Junior resumed his attack. It took everything Yang had to avoid his strikes.

Ruby started to panic. Not even Yang could last much longer in her state. She racked her brain for ideas. She had no weapon, but she did have the Program. She opened it and looked at the demon roster consisting of a single Jack Frost. She clicked on it and a series of options appeared. She pressed the one labeled _summon_ and the demon materialized in front of her.

"Hee-ho!" it said with that wide grin.

It stood there, rocking back and forth on the ball of its feet.

Ruby clicked on its icon again and another list of options appeared.

 _Fight_

 _Defend_

 _Return_

She clicked on _Fight_ and a list of attacks was displayed

 _Bufula_

 _Mabufu_

 _Lucky Strike_

While Yang was fighting Junior the white clad woman attacked and struck Yang across her back. She was sent to the floor bleeding profusely. The two moved in to finish her off.

In a panic Ruby pressed the _Mabufu_ command. The Jack Frost waved its hands and two spears of ice flew towards Junior and the girl, each one impaling them through the heart. They stumbled before falling to the ground.

Ruby's eyes widened. She hadn't meant to kill them. Her vision grew hazy. She could feel bile building up in the back of her throat.

Weiss grabbed Ruby by the shoulders. "Come on, you need to focus."

Ruby nodded. She could throw up later. This was all because of that demon. She looked up at the demon leisurely sitting on top of a pile of corpses. She ground her teeth in anger.

The demon slowly floated down towards them. It pouted like an upset child. "I can't believe you broke them so easily. Oh well, I'll just have to get some new ones."

A black blur sped towards the demon, and in an instant Blake delivered a horizontal kick to its head. The demon blocked it with a single hand.

It gave Blake an amused look. "You're pretty tough. Let's see what you've got."

Its empty hand crackled with energy. Blake's stomach was pierced by a bolt of lightning. She fell to the ground and dissolved into shadows. The real Blake was several feet away, sweating profusely. That would have killed her if not for her semblance.

The demon smirked. "Oh, how interesting. You'll make a fine plaything."

Weiss waved a hand and a glyph appeared under Blake's feet. She began to glow, and attacked the demon too fast for it to keep up with. Blake jumped into the air and delivered a spinning kick downwards right onto the demon's head. The demon reeled from the impact, but shrugged it off quickly.

Blake on the other hand was on the ground screaming and clutching her now broken leg. It was bent at a near ninety degree angle. Blake was done. There was no way for her to fight anymore.

The demon started laughing. "Is that all you've got? I can't believe the humans have gotten so weak. I almost feel insulted that you would challenge me."

The demon raised her hand and gathered more crackling energy into her palm. Blake had no way of avoiding the attack.

Ruby glared at the demon and gave Jack Frost another command. It sent a large spear of ice at the demon and pierced it through the stomach. The demon reeled in pain before its body stiffened and turned white. It froze from the inside and fell to the ground, shattering upon impact.

Weiss picked up Blake while Ruby helped Yang to her feet, and the four girls left the club.

Their night on the town ended before it even began.

xXx

Once they were back at the school Yang got herself treated by the nurse. Her upper body was wrapped in bandages, and her arm was in a sling. She had fared far better than others would have under similar circumstances.

Once the nurse was finished treating her she walked into the hall where Blake and Weiss were waiting. Blake was leaning on a crutch, her leg wrapped up in a cast.

"Where's Ruby?" she asked.

Weiss sighed. "In her room. She hasn't said a word since we got back."

"Can you blame her? She's still just a kid," Blake replied.

"This is the first time she's hurt someone who didn't deserve it. Junior was an ass, but he was just an innocent bystander in all this," Yang said, dejected.

It was some time before the authorities were able to determine a final tally of victims.

Thirty of Junior's henchmen, including the two girls, Junior himself, and ten patrons. They later learned from one of the survivors that the demon had casted a charm spell on Junior and the two girls, causing them to attack the clubbers. When the last surviving ones left the club the remaining ones turned on each other to sate the demon's lust for combat.

Weiss shuddered. "I talked to another student. That demon was called Lilim, of the Night race. It was one of the weaker members of that race, he said."

The three girls stood there in silence. Blake was the one who finally said what none of them wanted to admit.

"One demon did all that."

If one demon, a weak one at that, was capable of such carnage, then demons that could reduce the world to ashes like the ones in Ruby's dream existed as well. If creatures of such power truly existed, what chance did any of them have at surviving, let alone saving the world?

"Can we really do this?" Weiss asked.

Neither of the other girls had an answer


	4. Dancer

Pyrrha walked into her dorm dejected. Her attempt to talk to Ruby was a complete failure. Despite her best efforts she couldn't get Ruby to say a single word.

Nora looked at the saddened look on her teammate's face. "Nothing today either huh?"

Pyrrha shook her head. "It's been three days already."

"It might take some time for her to come around. Anyone would be shaken by what she witnessed," Ren said.

"Ruby's not like me and Ren. I can't imagine what she must be going through," Nora said.

Nora and Ren were no strangers to death, but even they abstained from taking lives unless they absolutely had to. That Ruby had killed two people whose only crime was being caught in the clutches of a demon must be weighing on her heavily.

Nora sighed and leaned back on her bed. "Nothing we can do now except wait until she's ready. I just wish we had something to take our mind off of things."

Right on schedule Jaune burst through the door.

"This is terrible!" he shouted.

"What's the matter Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.

"So me and Cardin were down in the forest fighting demons"

"Jaune, you know the forest is restricted"

"That's not the problem right now"

"Since when do you hang out with Cardin?" Nora asked.

Jaune grew exasperated. "Are you gonna let me finish or not?"

His three teammates went silent.

Jaune continued. "Right, like I was saying me and Cardin were down in the forest fighting demons. After a while I noticed my sword strikes weren't doing as much damage as they should, and then I noticed this."

He dramatically drew his sword. At a glance there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it.

"What's wrong with it?" Ren asked.

"What's wrong with it?" Jaune said as he shoved the blade closer. "Look at it!"

Upon closer inspection they noticed that the blade was covered in nicks and scratches. There were pieces missing along the edge as well.

"How did that happen?" Nora asked.

Jaune started pulling at his hair. "Probably a demon, I don't know. What am I supposed to do? My dad loves this sword, if I go home with it looking like this he's gonna beat me with the toaster again."

"What?" Ren said, dumbfounded.

"Why don't you take it to a smith?" Nora asked. "It's a simple weapon so it shouldn't be that hard to fix."

Jaune seemed to calm down upon hearing that. "You're right Nora. I can fix this."

He turned and went towards the door.

Pyrrha stuck an arm out and blocked his way. "Maybe we should go with you. It's dangerous out there after all."

Jaune nodded in agreement. "True. You guys grab your weapons and we can all head out together."

Jaune left the room with Pyrrha following close by.

Nora sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Ren placed a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine."

XxX

Down in the city Team JNPR traveled to the smith's shop.

"The shop isn't too far from here," Jaune said looking at his scroll.

There weren't as many people on the streets as there normally were. After what happened at Junior's the citizenry spent as little time outside their homes as possible.

Jaune looked at his scroll. "According to the map the shop should be right here." He looked up at the building where the smith was located and then turned and kept walking.

Pyrrha grabbed him by the arm. "Jaune, this is the place."

"No it isn't! Does that look like a smith's shop to you?"

Jaune pointed at the building, or rather, what used to be a building. Where Ivory's Ironworks used to be now stood a mass of writhing greyish tentacles.

Nora walked up and placed a hand on one. They pulsed in her hand, but they were cold to the touch.

"What is this?" Nora asked.

In response Pixie appeared from Jaune's scroll.

"It's a domain."

"A what?" Jaune asked. "And who said you could come out?"

"A domain. Some demons can change the landscape of where they are. The more powerful the demon, the bigger the domain. There are some really strong demons that control entire dimensions."

Ren took in the sight. The domain only occupied the single building. The shops on either side were completely untouched.

Something crossed Jaune's mind. "What happened to the people inside?"

Pixie shrugged. "If the demon didn't kill them first then who knows. The place should turn back to normal if you take out the demon at the center of it."

"Then there's only one thing for us to do," Jaune said.

He and his team went inside the shop.

The inside of the domain was a series of winding corridors. The walls, floor, and ceiling were covered with the same tentacles that they saw outside. The way they constantly shifted made the four teens feel nauseous. The floor's incessant movement made it impossible to get even footing no matter where they stood.

Nora clamped a hand over her nose. "It stinks in here."

Jaune felt sick. "I know, but we need to keep going."

As they kept walking a trio of demons appeared before them. One was a small demon with red skin, another was a circular demon with short arms and legs and two swirl patterns on its front, and the last was a mass of green slime with glowing red eyes.

Jaune stepped back. "I think this is a good opportunity to for you guys to get demons of your own."

"Are you sure?" Nora asked.

"Yeah. These demons aren't going anywhere, and we need to get stronger."

Pyrrha slowly walked up to the small red demon. She waved and smiled at it. "Hello."

The demon waved back. "What do you want?"

"I was wondering if you could join me."

"Hmmm maybe. You got any Macca?"

Pyrrha shook her head. "Sorry, I don't."

"Then why am I talking to you?" the demon said as it turned and left.

Jaune held in his laughter. "That was awful. You gotta do it like this."

He walked up to the small circular demon. "Hey little guy, how'd you like to become my demon."

The small demon floated up towards Jaune. "Lemme get bit of your spirit."

Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "I'd love to, but I just ate. You know you're supposed to wait at least two hours after a meal before sharing your spirit with anyone. That's common sense."

The demon gasped. "I had no idea. You're really smart mister. I want to learn more things. I'm Sudama the Jirae. Pleased to meet you."

The Sudama flowed into Jaune's scroll.

 _A new demon has been acquired._

 _Sudama_

 _Jirae race_

 _A spirit of the mountains and forests in Japanese folklore. They aren't evil, but have a knack for causing mischief._

Jaune looked at Sudama's stats. "Zan and Pulinpa, not bad." He turned to Pyrrha. "See, it's all about knowing the right things to say."

Pyrrha nodded and went to the last demon. She tried not to gag at the rancid smell coming off of it. The demon smelled of rotting meat.

"Hello," she said with a grimace.

The demon made strange groaning noises before oozing away.

This time Jaune couldn't hold in his laughter. He slouched over clutching his stomach.

Pyrrha fell to her knees and punched the ground in frustration.

Ren sighed. "Don't be too upset. Jaune is just a natural at this."

Nora nodded. "Yeah, I think this is the first time I've seen Jaune beat you in anything."

Jaune tried not to look proud hearing Nora's words. "You've got plenty of time to improve, Pyrrha. For now let's just keep moving."

They traveled deeper into the domain. After a while they stood in front of a large door that looked like it was covered in bones.

"There's a demon in there," Jaune said.

His teammates drew their weapons as Jaune forced the door open.

Inside the room floating in the center was a single demon. It was a woman with blue skin and blue hair wearing a white leotard and a belt adorned with blue teardrop shaped jewels. She was dancing to music with words that none of them could understand. Jaune took a step forward, but Ren stuck his arm out and stopped him.

Jaune looked at Ren. Ren held up one finger. Jaune nodded, and the rest of them watched the demon dance until she was done.

All four of the young hunters were captivated by the demon's performance. She moved like a natural. The translucent white sash in her hands made her seem light as a cloud. Not even the girls could bring themselves to interrupt.

Once the demon finished dancing she looked over at Jaune and his teammates.

"What reason do you have for intruding upon my home?"

"This isn't your home," Jaune responded.

The demon waved dismissively. "It is mine now. I wanted it so I took it. I'm sure you humans are familiar with the concept."

Pyrrha drew her weapon. "What happened to the people that were here?"

The demon shrugged. "Who knows?"

Pyrrha lunged at the demon and slashed at the demon's neck. The demon jumped back to avoid it and shot a spear of ice from her hand. Pyrrha raised her shield to block it and was sent sliding back by the impact.

Pyrrha blinked. It hit hard, but not as hard as the demon that she fought in the forest.

Pyrrha grinned at the demon. "Is that all you've got?"

The demon floated toward Pyrrha and grabbed her by the face. She opened her mouth and an otherworldly sound came out. Pyrrha's eyes came unfocused, her arms went slack, and she fell to the ground.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune shouted. He grabbed his scroll and summoned his demons. Three demons appeared from his scroll. The Pixie he met in the forest, the Sudama he met in the domain, and a third demon none of his teammates had seen before. It was a man with no legs whose body was pierced with multiple swords. He had a sword in his right hand, which was covered in blood.

Jaune put the demons on autopilot for the time being and engaged the enemy personally. The demon stepped back and avoided the swing. The Sudama waved its hands and a powerful gust of wind blew the demon into a wall. The sword wounded demon took the opportunity to run the demon through. The demon screamed in pain and disappeared. There was a small pile of coins on the ground.

Nora knelt down and picked one up. There was a strange symbol on it. "Wonder what this is?"

Ren grabbed another coin. "I think it's supposed to be money."

Jaune picked up the rest of the coins and slipped them into his pocket. "I think we should hang onto them."

The room suddenly filled with a blinding white light. When the light faded they were standing in the smith's shop. The shop's owner was leaning on the counter like nothing had happened.

"You guys need something?" he asked.

Jaune remembered why he had come here. He handed the smith his sword. "I need this touched up."

The smith examined the blade. "No problem." He looked down at Pyrrha, still asleep on the floor. "Is your friend okay?"

The other three fighters looked at Pyrrha. She was laying on her side snoring softly. Even asleep Pyrrha was still the image of beauty. Nora took out her scroll and snapped a picture. After that she went to wake Pyrrha up.

Nora gently shook Pyrrha. "Pyrrha, wake up."

The red headed warrior slowly sat up. There was a line of drool running down her cheek. She stretched out and yawned. "What time is it?"

Both Ren and Jaune were doubled over with laughter.

Nora laughed nervously. "Don't you remember? We were fighting that demon and you fell asleep."

Pyrrha's eyes widened and she jumped to her feet. She hastily wiped the spit off of her face. She looked from Nora, to Jaune and Ren, and then to the shopkeeper. Her cheeks started burning.

The smith wrote up an invoice and handed it to Jaune. "Your sword should be ready tomorrow."

Jaune placed the paper in his pocket. "Thank you."

"Hey, what happened to that blue chick? She was hot."

Ren nodded in agreement. "She was."

There was a pause as Ren's teammates gave him a strange look. Nora looked especially annoyed.

Jaune shrugged. "No idea."

Team JNPR left the smith's shop. As they were leaving the man behind the counter called out to them.

"You guys be careful. It's getting dangerous out there."

XxX

Yang sighed and placed her head in her hands. "I'm glad you guys made it out okay."

Once they were back at the school the members of Team JNPR met with the other members of Team RWBY to tell them about what happened in the city. Unfortunately Ruby was still in her bed refusing to talk to anyone. No one could get her to say a word. Not her friends, her sister, or any of the teachers.

Jaune sighed. "I wish there was something we could do for her."

Weiss looked at her scroll. She hadn't once yet used the Program. Something about it rubbed her the wrong way.

"I think this is going to get a lot worse," she said.

Nora stood up with a wide smile on her face. "Come on, guys. We've been through worse than this and come out fine haven't we? As long as we stick together there's nothing we can't do."

The others seemed to lighten up after hearing that. The oppressive atmosphere that filled the room seemed to disappear.

"You're right Nora. We can definitely do this," Jaune said.

The students found themselves filled with a newfound resolve. If the world truly was in danger, then they didn't have time to waste caught in the grips of despair.

* * *

 **AN:** Design wise Apsaras has always been one of my favorite demons. I was in love the first time I saw it.

As long as you're reading this I want to clarify something. This isn't a crossover with a specific SMT game, so if you're reading this hoping to see Ruby get boned by the Demi-Fiend then I'm sorry to disappoint you. However as the story progresses it'll be obvious which particular game I'm drawing the most inspiration from.

If you like it then feel free to drop a review. Or even if you don't. I would really appreciate it.


	5. Music

Ruby laid in her bed. She didn't know how long she had been here. Looking out the window she saw the sun rise, set, and rise again until it all blended together. People came by, at least she thought they were people. They were black masses that spoke words she couldn't understand.

She hadn't been to sleep yet. Whenever she closed her eyes all she could see was the inside of the club that night. She saw the charred and mangled bodies scattered. Her nose filled with the scent of burned flesh and spilled blood, and she saw the way that those people looked at her as they died, like they were accusing her.

What ate at her the most was how close she was to it. This was nothing like the fight in the tunnels. She casually tossed men into the open jaws of death, but those were faceless people who meant to harm others. Not actually seeing those men die let her push it out of her mind.

Ruby felt a tightness in her stomach. How could she hope to save the world when she couldn't even help people who needed it?

Ruby sighed. She slowly closed her eyes, and when she opened them again she was in the same place where she had found Stephen that day in the forest. The cold, hard stone floor wasn't meant for sleeping, so she got up and started walking.

It was different from the last time she was here. Instead of the infinitely long corridor it was a series of hallways. The layout was like a maze.

Ruby traveled through the twisting, winding corridors for hours with no end in sight. It took even longer to reach the end than last time. Eventually she found the door to Stephen's room.

She opened the door and heard classical music coming from Stephen's computer. He was leaning back in his chair relaxing to the sound of pianos and violins.

Ruby rarely listened to this kind of music. Usually it was when Weiss needed something to listen to while she was studying. Something about this song made Ruby feel relaxed, so she decided to wait until it was over to interrupt.

Once the song ended Ruby stepped into the room. Stephen had gone back to typing at his computer.

"It's good to see you again," he said without looking up from his computer.

Ruby waved at him. "Hi. Did you need something?"

Stephen shook his head. "While I can call people into this realm, you came of your own volition. That must mean that you need something from me."

Ruby shrugged. "Can't think of anything I need right now."

"Well, I see no reason why we cannot simply talk. Has the Program been serving you well so far?"

"Yeah, it has. I was able to save my friends, and they've been able to help people all over the city."

Stephen nodded. "Very good. Is there anything else?"

Ruby stood there for what felt like hours. "Actually, there is something. About a week ago, I went to this club with my teammates. A demon had attacked, and there were all these bodies and they were black like they'd been burned to death. And there were these people fighting, they looked like they were about to die, and they attacked me. But they didn't want to, they were being controlled. They needed help but I...," her voice started to crack and eyes started to burn with tears. "I killed them."

The events of that night replayed in her head over and over ever since it happened, but this was the first time that Ruby had talked about it with anyone. She didn't know why it was Stephen of all people she chose to open up to. Either way, those words opened the floodgates. She fell to her knees and let her tears flow freely.

Stephen watched this young girl cry her eyes out. He had seen much during his time in the Expanse, but this was rare. He shouldn't be surprised. Usually they were older, harder, and fiercer. They didn't crack, they simply did what needed doing. He didn't really know how to deal with someone like this.

He placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "It is no easy thing that you have been tasked with. I am afraid that your journey will not get any easier from here."

Ruby looked up at the wheelchair bound man. "Why? Why do I have to do it?"

"Because you have been chosen. However, I never said that you would be forced to bear this burden. You could simply step aside and allow events to unfold without your influence."

Ruby glared at Stephen. "You mean just sit back and watch as my world gets destroyed?"

"That is merely one choice you have. I would not fault you for choosing that option," he replied.

Ruby stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I can't back down now. I'll save Remnant, and I'll save anyone who needs saving. I won't fail again."

Stephen smiled at the young girl. "That is good to hear Miss Rose. I hope next time we can meet under better circumstances."

When Ruby opened her eyes she could hear music. It was different than the music she heard in Stephen's room. This song was more downbeat, and she could hear a woman's melancholy singing.

 _I got something to say. I, I got something to say._

 _Yesterday, yesterday is gone_ _  
_

 _Tomorrow, tomorrow is on the way_ _  
_

 _You don't have time to waste_ _  
_

 _Gotta get it right_ _  
_

 _Yesterday, yesterday is gone_ _  
_

 _Tomorrow, tomorrow is on the way_ _  
_

 _You don't have time to waste_ _  
_

 _Gotta get it right_ _  
_

 _Yesterday, yesterday is gone_ _  
_

 _Tomorrow, tomorrow is on the way_ _  
_

 _You don't have time to waste_ _  
_

 _Gotta get it right._

 _Oh my my. Oh my my, my my my my._

Ruby looked over the edge of her bed and saw Weiss listening to music while writing something down in a notebook.

Ruby jumped to the ground and tried to get a look at what was playing. She got too close and accidentally bumped into Weiss.

Weiss turned around. "Watch where you're going you-". She saw that ruby was back on her feet and her eyes widened. "Ruby!" she shouted as she jumped out of her chair. "Are you…"

Ruby smiled at her partner. "I'm fine now, I promise. I'm sorry I made you guys worry."

Weiss sighed. "You should be. Yang nearly burned down the school she was so upset."

"Guess I really need to talk to her". Ruby looked around and saw that she and Weiss were the only ones in the room. "Where is everybody?"

Weiss put away her things. "Classes were canceled today so they took an early lunch."

Ruby's stomach started growling. She felt blood rush to her face. "Now that you mention it I'm really hungry."

Ruby went towards the door, but stopped. She turned towards Weiss. "What was that you were listening to?"

"A song my father liked listening to. He played that song all the time". Weiss had a slight smile on her face.

"Wow, I've never heard you talk about your family, like ever," Ruby replied.

"I don't have a lot to talk about."

xXx

Weiss and Ruby went to the cafeteria where their friends were waiting. After a quick scan of the room the two of them spotted a girl with waist length blond hair.

Ruby grabbed her food and went to the table. "Hey guys," she said to her friends.

Yang's head whipped around. She jumped out of her seat and wrapped her arms around her sister. "Ruby! You're okay."

Ruby felt her ribs crack. "Come on Yang, can't I eat in peace?"

Yang shook her head and squeezed even tighter.

Blake grabbed the tray of food out of Ruby's hands before it fell. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Ruby groaned in pain. "I might not be in a few seconds."

Blake tapped Yang on the shoulder, and Yang let Ruby go.

Ruby stepped forward and returned Yang's hug. "I'm sorry for making you worry. I won't do it again."

Ruby took a seat at the table and listened to her friends recall the events of the past few days. Yang and Blake had acquired demons of their own and went through the city destroying Domains whenever one sprouted. Professor Oobleck fought an entire horde of demons alone and ended up seriously hurt, which is why class ended early. Jaune and his team were trying to find information on where the demons came from, but weren't able to learn anything new.

Yang leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Man, it'd be easier if these demons weren't so tough. Dust works fine but trying to actually hit them is something else. Even the tiny ones have bodies like steel. I almost broke my hand fighting one."

Amidst all of this conversation Ruby's eyes were drawn towards a new face at the table. A large student with orange hair and lavender eyes. He was shoveling food into his mouth not paying any attention to the events surrounding him.

Ruby blinked. Cardin Winchester was sitting at their table and no one was saying anything. That made no sense. He didn't have the most positive reputation. He and Ruby had gotten into a fight the day they met. After he got beat by Pyrrha in front of the entire school everyone thought he would drop out

Ruby gestured towards Cardin. "Did I miss something?"

Her teammates shrugged.

"Ask Jaune," Weiss said.

Cardin finished eating and belched loudly. Jaune's teammates grimaced at his slovenly nature.

Cardin noticed Ruby. "Finally stopped moping?"

Nora glared at Cardin. "Watch it. Just because Jaune keeps you around doesn't mean you won't get a beating."

Cardin laughed in her face. "Try it."

He turned toward Ruby. "Besides, it's not all your fault. If your teammates weren't so shit it wouldn't have happened in the first place."

Ruby's teammates stared daggers at Cardin.

"What're you saying Cardin?" Yang asked.

"A single Lilim gave you that much trouble? Even dead weight like Jaune would have handled it better."

The other girls looked at Jaune, his Pixie laying on his head casually kicking her legs back and forth.

Yang's eyes flashed crimson. "What do you know about it? Have you even fought any demons?"

Cardin scoffed. "I have. They're not that tough. Maybe you just suck."

Yang grabbed Cardin by the collar and lifted him up off the ground. "You're a real piece of shit, you know that?"

Cardin's only response was to smirk at her. "You wanna fight me? Be careful, you might hurt yourself."

Yang punched Cardin in the jaw and sent him flying across the cafeteria. After a few seconds she felt a burning pain in her right hand. She looked at her hand and saw that her fingers were all bent at odd angles.

"What the hell?" Yang said in disbelief.

Cardin stood up and looked at Yang's broken hand. His eyebrows furrowed. "That isn't right. I know you're not that weak."

He walked up to Yang and stuck his hand out. "Let me see your scroll."

Yang gave Cardin a look that made everyone around them recoil. "Drop dead Cardin."

Cardin waved dismissively. "Save it for later, just let me see your scroll."

Yang used her good hand to reach into her pocket and handed Cardin her scroll. Cardin opened up the Program and began scrolling through the options. He raised an eyebrow.

"The harmonizer isn't on."

Everyone at the table save Jaune looked up at Cardin.

"The what?" Pyrrha asked.

"The Demonic Harmonizer. It's what lets you fight the demons without killing yourself. Don't tell me you haven't been using it."

"I've never seen that before," Blake said.

"I thought you were the smart one. How could you not go through all of the options?"

Nora started pulling on her hair. "You mean we could have been fighting the demons on even terms this whole time? You've gotta be kidding me."

Pyrrha looked over at Jaune. "Wait, did you know about it?"

Jaune shrugged. "Yeah, I thought you guys knew already."

Ren banged his head against the table.

Cardin took a closer look at Yang's broken fingers and grinned. "Man, I'm tougher than I thought."

Jaune reached up and grabbed Pixie. "Can you help her?"

Pixie smiled. "Anything for you master."

Pixie flew over to Yang and cast her healing spell. Yang's fingers shifted back into position and mended themselves. Yang watched as the bone fused together, the muscles reattached, and the skin closed up.

Yang flexed her fingers. They were good as new. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"I never thought I'd say this but you really helped us out Cardin," Ruby said.

Cardin scoffed. "Don't make a habit of leaning on me."

Blake thought for a moment. "This is good right? Now we stand a better chance against the demons."

"Wait," Weiss interrupted. "Ruby wasn't using the harmonizer either. How was she able to fight that demon before?"

Ruby thought for a moment. "I don't know. I'll try asking Ozpin about it. or maybe Stephen."

Blake sighed. "I really don't think you should be around that man. If you have to pass out just to see him then you should leave him alone."

"True, but he's not a bad person. He's not good either but he's not bad. Besides he knows the most about the demons, and we need all the help we can get."

Yang nodded in agreement. "Yeah, a good ally is really hard to find these days."

XxX

"No, it's no problem. This is a matter that concerns all of Remnant. I would be more than happy to lend my assistance. Understood. I look forward to seeing you again Glynda."

Ironwood ended the call and leaned back in his chair. Atlas had the demon incursion more or less under control, but the reports he was getting from his troops regarding Vale were incredibly troubling. Multiple civilian casualties, people's homes being destroyed, even the staff at Beacon weren't enough to repel the demons fully.

"I may have to take control of the situation."

A demon materialized beside Ironwood. "Do you trust this Ozpin?"

The hairs on the back of Ironwood's neck stood up. Although they were allies the power the demon exuded just standing there was like nothing he had ever felt before. It was a miracle that he was able to survive fighting against it.

"Ozpin is one of my closest friends, and a valued ally, but that doesn't mean I trust him. If he has the best interests of Vale at heart then I'll be happy to assist him however I can. If he doesn't, that's what I have you for."

The demon laughed. "How interesting. If this man is as close a friend as you say, are you capable of cutting him down if it comes to it?"

Ironwood looked at his desk. His eyes were drawn towards a picture of a young girl with short orange hair and a wide smile. "I've done worse."

* * *

 **AN:** The song Weiss is listening to is called "Better in Tune With the Infinite" by Jay Electronica


	6. Family

"Qrow, this is Glynda. I hope there is a good reason you're not answering. I need you to return to Vale as soon as possible. This is an emergency."

Glynda hung up and rubbed her forehead. She felt another headache coming on. It'd been a month and Qrow still wasn't responding to any of her messages. Of course he wasn't. Qrow would disappear for months at a time without contacting anyone. Why would a little thing like a demon invasion motivate him to answer the phone?

She put her scroll away and walked down the hall of the school. At first her days were filled with retrieving injured students from the forest and making sure that their injuries were treated. Now her job involved sending students into the city to destroy any domains that sprouted and occasionally destroy the stray demon that somehow wandered into the school.

She was surprised at the lack of casualties among the students so far. They were stronger than she gave them credit for. But at the same time she couldn't shake the feeling that things were going too well so far. The demons that appeared now were on the weaker end of the scale. She knew from the reports the other headmasters sent that the occasional powerful demon would appear, but those were special.

Things were too peaceful. It was like a knife being held to someone's neck. As long as it's there no one is really safe.

Glynda shook her head and continued walking.

"Ms. Goodwitch?" a voice called out.

Glynda turned and saw Ruby walking toward her. She was alone, her team taking care of business elsewhere.

She smiled at the young hunter. "It's good to see you up and about Miss Rose."

"Yeah, I got tired of lying in bed all day. Anyway, have you seen Professor Ozpin?"

"He isn't here at the moment."

Ruby frowned. "That's too bad. I wanted to ask him something."

"I will tell him when he returns."

Glynda took a closer look at Ruby. She was certainly looking better now. Glynda remembered all of the students that passed through Beacon's halls. Not all of them could deal with the pressure of becoming a hunter. Some simply dropped out, others took their own lives, and there were the ones who ended up losing their minds and posed a significant danger to the other students. Those Glynda had to deal with personally. She was confident that Ruby wouldn't end up like that.

Ruby pounded her hand with her fist. "That's right, I wanted to ask you something." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a coin with a strange symbol etched into it. "Apparently this is called 'Macca'. It's what the demons use for money. Pretty cool huh?"

Glynda took a closer look at the coin. "That certainly is fascinating, but what is it you wanted to ask me?"

Ruby pointed at the symbol. "I feel like I've seen this before. I don't know why, but I feel like I can read it. I think it says 'Saturn'. Do you know what that is?"

Glynda dropped her scroll in shock. Her eyes were drawn to the girl's brilliant silver eyes.

 _Impossible. She can't be awakening this soon._

"Ms. Goodwitch?" Ruby asked.

Glynda shook her head. "I apologize. Perhaps when Professor Ozpin returns you can ask him about it."

"Alright," she said, turning to walk away.

Glynda ducked into an empty classroom and phoned Ozpin.

"Ozpin, she's begun to use her abilities. Things are progressing faster than we anticipated."

She ended the call and sighed. The demon invasion and Ruby's early awakening. There's no way it was coincidence.

XxX

"Hmmm, so Glynda didn't know either huh?" Yang said.

"Nope. How are you and Blake doing?"

"Easy, all we have to do is bust up this demon and we can get out of here."

"Alright, I'll see you when you get back. Bye."

Yang put her scroll away and stretched out. "You ready Blake?"

Blake readied her weapon. "I'm ready."

The two stood at the deepest level of the Domain. This was the deepest one they had found yet. There was certainly a powerful demon behind the large double doors.

"No time like the present," Yang said. She took a step forward and kicked the door open. As soon as she did the two girls were hit by a blast of frigid air. Yang felt her arms go numb.

She grabbed herself and shivered in discomfort. "Have I ever mentioned that I hate the cold?"

Blake casually walked into the room. "Stop being such a baby."

Yang ran into the room behind Blake. She looked around and saw that the floor was littered with bones. Some still had flesh attached to them.

Blake's ears twitched. She looked for the source of the sound and spotted the demon leisurely chewing on a human bone.

"That's a big guy," she said.

Big was the right word. The demon was over fifteen feet tall. Its body was covered in white fur, and there were large antlers coming out of his head.

"This isn't gonna be easy," Blake said.

The demon turned towards the two girls. Its red eyes glowed with animosity. It let out a deafening roar.

Yang felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She couldn't recall the last time she was so excited.

"Hey big guy. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you're gonna die."

The demon laughed. "I'm not dying today. I need to obtain more power and consume more and more humans. I've eaten nearly a hundred but it's not enough. But I feel a strange energy from the two of you. Eating you will make me much, much stronger."

Blake grimaced. "Talkative guy isn't he?"

Yang realized this would be a good opportunity to gather information. "Become stronger for what?"

The demon released its power, causing the cavern to violently shake. "War! We will wage war upon Remnant. We will march upon your world and wipe out the humans. For the glory of Lord Ares!"

Yang and Blake exchanged a look. This was incredibly valuable information. If the demons were taking orders from someone, then maybe defeating them could get rid of the rest.

Yang and Blake drew their scrolls and summoned their demons.

Yang's demon was a large dog with red fur and two tails. It had a spiked collar around its neck. Yang fell in love with Galm the instant she saw him. Its color, shape, and ferocity spoke to her on a spiritual level.

Yang knelt down and rubbed the hellhound's thick red fur. "Hey buddy, ready to hunt?"

The demon howled in response.

no one who knew Blake was surprised by her demon. It was a cat that stood on its hind legs. The purple fur and green eyes complemented its red boots, hat, and cape. It wielded a curved saber in its right paw.

"Is it time to battle again milady?" Cait Sith asked.

Blake smiled at her demon. "Indeed"

Cait Sith thrust his sword at the demon. "The Wendigo, a truly fearsome opponent. Nonetheless he will fall today."

The Wendigo roared and ran at the nearest fighter. Its massive fist crashed into Blake, sending her flying into a nearby wall. At least, it sent a copy flying. The real Blake was over the demon's head preparing a counter attack. She swung her sword at the base of the demon's neck, but couldn't cut deep enough. The demon's thick, hard antlers stopped her sword dead.

The Wendigo reached behind its back and grabbed Blake. It tightened its grip on her body.

Blake felt an indescribable pressure on her arms. They were on the verge of breaking.

In an instant Cait Sith appeared in front of the Wendigo and sliced into its wrist. The demon cried out in pain and loosened its grip on the cat Faunus.

The demon slammed its fist into the ground. Blake jumped back to avoid it, but didn't anticipate the spikes of ice that sped toward her. She was caught off guard, and multiple spears pierced her in the stomach, chest, and head.

Blake used her semblance to avoid the damage, but she felt a deep chill inside her body. She tried flexing her fingers, but they wouldn't move. Whatever magic the demon used, Blake's semblance couldn't avoid all of the effects.

The Wendigo charged and threw another punch at the helpless Blake. The young girl couldn't even close her eyes. Before the blow connected a pillar of flame appeared between the two of them. Yang's fist collided with the demon's, causing the floor to crack apart.

Yang had a large smile on her face. "You're strong. How's about you become my demon?"

The Wendigo laughed. "I refuse. I only serve Lord Ares."

"Too bad." She turned toward her demon. "Galm, go berserk."

Galm's red eyes shone with an unearthly light. It crouched down on all fours, its muscles bulging. It tore the ground apart in its wake and shot towards the enemy. It opened its jaws wide and clamped down onto the Wendigo's shoulder. It thrashed violently, tearing into the muscle. The Wendigo roared in agony and punched at Galm with its free hand, but the beast refused to loosen its grip. When Galm was in its berserker state, nothing could move it. It kept fighting no matter how badly injured it was.

Yang punched the demon hard in the stomach and fired a round into its gut. The demon screamed in pain and fell onto one knee.

Yang smirked. "Not a big fan of fire, huh?"

She grabbed her scroll and commanded Galm to use the _Agi_ skill. The beast's mouth filled with an orange light, and it released a large ball of flame that blew the Wendigo's arm completely off.

Yang whistled. "Not bad."

The Wendigo roared and grabbed Galm. It threw the hellhound into the ground and stomped on it with its massive foot. The impact of the stomp shook the cave walls. Galm was in critical condition. The Wendigo raised its foot again, but stopped. Cait Sith seemed to be floating in front of the snowman, but on closer inspection it was simply holding on to its sword. Said sword was jutting out from in between the Wendigo's eyes.

"I believe we have spent more than enough time here," the feline demon said.

The huge demon fell to the ground, its body disappearing into darkness.

The demons turned back into particles of light and returned to their masters' scrolls.

Yang ran over to Blake and helped her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Blake couldn't stop shivering. "Cold. Need warm."

Yang placed a hand on Blake's shoulder and summoned her aura. Blake could feel the gentle warmth coursing through her body, and soon she was able to move normally.

"Alright, the Domain should be fading away soon," Yang said.

A few seconds later the room filled with a blinding white light which faded away to reveal a family's living room. Blake gasped as she looked around the room.

There were claw marks along the walls and ceiling, the floor was stained with blood, and there were bodies all over, an entire family's worth. There was an older looking couple, and two young children. The door to their home had been broken down, and the woman's body laid in the doorway with her ribs sticking out of her chest. The man's head had been turned around, his body next to his wife's. A little girl was on her back, a spear of ice impaling her through the stomach. Her eyes were still frozen in shock. Her brother was still sitting on the couch watching television. There was a news report about the demon's activity in Vale. There were more of them than the Hunters could deal with, and casualties were steadily climbing. People were beginning to panic. A single demon was enough to wipe out a squad of unprepared humans.

The boy sat transfixed at the screen. The bruise around his neck showed that he had been strangled to death.

Yang ground her teeth in frustration. "I can't stand this shit."

Blake knelt down next to the young girl and closed her eyes. She stood back up and noticed a picture on a shelf near the door. It was a picture of a smiling family; a man, a woman, and their three children.

Blake's blood ran cold. She looked through the room for another body, but didn't find anything. As she walked her foot squished something. She looked down and saw that it was a child's small hand. That was all that was left.

Blake ran out of the house and emptied her stomach onto the ground.

Yang walked out behind her. "Come on, let's head back."

Blake wiped her mouth and nodded. The two girls hoped that there was at least one person handling this better than they were.

XxX

Qrow's ears were assaulted by his scroll ringing again. It had to be Glynda. Only she would call again, and again, and again if you didn't pick up the first time. Not to say that he was avoiding her calls. Normally he'd be more than happy to answer, but he was occupied with other matters at the moment.

He stepped over the dead angel. It was one of dozens. His clothes were covered in blood and feathers. He'd been at this for hours. No matter how many he killed they just kept coming.

A hole opened up in the sky, and two angels descended. Each one had six wings. One's were red, and he fought empty handed. The other's wings were yellow, and he fought with a sword.

One of the angels looked at Qrow like he was trash on the ground. "Child of the cursed blood, in the name of the Lord, you must be destroyed."

Qrow had no idea what they meant, but the angel's voice was like a needle in his brain. He could feel the power of the two monsters. If he faltered even once then he was dead.

Despite all of that he couldn't stop smiling. He couldn't remember the last time something actually posed a threat to him.

He grabbed his scroll and opened the Program. He called forth his demon, sending waves of energy in every direction.

A figure materialized before him. It was a tall man with red skin, wild dark blue hair, and a sword with seven branches jutting out of the blade.

Susano-o looked up at the two angels and back at his master.

"I hope this battle is worth my time."

The war god gripped his sword and swung at the angels. The two heavenly beings each blocked eight attacks. They were unharmed by the enemy's strikes.

Qrow's demon grinned. "Oh ho, you might be worth fighting after all."

Qrow was blown back several feet. He was barely able to raise his sword in time to block the attack himself. That was a reason he didn't rely on his demon unless he had to. Susano-o was powerful, but he had an attitude problem. He took every chance he could to try and "accidentally" injure his master. Only Qrow would manage to obtain such a foul tempered demon.

He let out a weary sigh. He summoned a powerful ally, but his odds of survival dropped significantly.


	7. Lesson

Ruby and Weiss sat at the edge of Weiss' bed and listened to Blake and Yang recall the events of the previous day.

"He really called him 'Lord Ares'?" Ruby asked.

The blond hunter nodded. "He's definitely the boss. A lot of other demons were talking about him too. This is good. It's the first real lead we've gotten since this whole thing started."

"So we need to find this Ares and kill him as soon as we can," Blake said.

"Do we have any idea where he might be?" Weiss asked. "A lot of demons wander around, especially the more powerful ones."

None of them had any idea what to do with nothing more than a name. They couldn't afford to travel very far. The further away from Vale they traveled the more powerful the demons roaming became. Of course that didn't mean that they were safer near the city. Some demons traveled at their leisure, killing anyone who had the misfortune to cross their path. Several students had already lost their lives simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Ruby shook her head. "Maybe he'll be in a domain."

Blake went green. Her mind went back to the Wendigo. It was merely a servant, but it still was enough to slaughter dozens of people. If its master formed a domain in a place filled with people, then it would be a massacre.

"Let's worry about that later. If we give it some time I'm sure something will come up," she said.

Yang shrugged. "If you say so." She looked at the clock on the wall. "Class is starting soon."

The four girls gathered their things and went to their first class of the day.

XxX

Professor Oobleck had been released from the infirmary, and intended to make up for his absence by teaching even faster than he did before. It took intense concentration to keep up with him. The students were burned out before the class was halfway over.

The lesson was on one of the decisive battles of the Great War. It was a great offensive, with massive loss of life on both sides. After the fighting was over the battlefield was turned into a desolate wasteland that took years to recover.

The professor was a green blur as he sped between the three large chalkboards covered with pictures, flyers, and notes. If losing his left arm and his left eye bothered him at all, he didn't show it.

"NowclassIunderstandthatthedemonincursionisaverydiresituationbutthisisequallyimportant. PerhapsthereissomethinginRemnant'shistorythatcouldshedsomelightontotheoriginofthedemons. Ihopeyouarealltakingnotesastherewillbeatestattheendoftheweek."

Ruby felt like she had gotten hit with a brick. Keeping up with the manic teacher was impossible for her. She had given up on trying to take notes five minutes into the lesson.

She looked around the classroom. Weiss and Blake were diligently taking notes. Yang had her face planted on her desk, a plume of smoke coming out of her head. Jaune had fallen asleep, while Pyrrha and Ren were watching Nora balance a pencil on the tip of her nose.

The teacher turned towards his students. "Nowthenwhichoneofyoucantellmewhatthedecidingfactorinthewarwas." He scanned the room and pointed at a student. "MsRosedoyouknowtheanswer?"

Ruby perked up. She racked her brain but couldn't find an answer. Her mouth moved without thinking. "Artillery. The enemy couldn't overcome the bombardment and got cut to pieces."

Oobleck smiled. "Correct."

Ruby blinked. She had no idea how she knew the answer to that question. She put a hand on her head. It suddenly felt like someone had driven a nail into her eye.

First the dreams, then the demons, now she knew things she couldn't possibly know. She knew they were connected, but couldn't figure how.

The bell rang signaling the end of class. The students slowly filed out of the room.

Ruby went down to where the professor was standing.

"I'm really glad you're okay professor," she said.

The older man smiled at her. "I have been in harsher battles. In any case, I was fortunate to have a reliable partner."

He drew his scroll from his pocket and summoned his demon. A large figure materialized before them.

Oobleck's demon was a large, muscular woman. On a human her yellow skin and deep red eyes would be a clear sign of illness, but it made the demon look oddly beautiful. The chains of red beads that adorned her arms, legs, and neck only accentuated it. The light reflected off of the curved swords she held in both hands. Looking down at her master her face bore the faintest hint of a smile.

All four girls could feel an intense power coming from the demon. It's clear how Oobleck survived fighting an entire horde.

Yang whistled at the demon. "Nice." She looked at Oobleck. "So what happened when you were attacked?"

The professor adjusted his glasses. "I was acting upon the headmaster's request. I was taken by surprise and caught in an unfavorable situation. I'm lucky to be alive."

"Trying to find more information on the demons?" Weiss asked.

Oobleck nodded. He turned toward his board. "Information is a vital aspect of war. Charging blindly into battle would almost certainly spell disaster. Take for example the battle of Ebony Port. A mere typo on an intelligence report led to thousands of casualties."

"Yeah, there's nothing worse than being unprepared," Blake said, recalling the night in the club.

"So were you able to learn anything?" Weiss asked.

Oobleck pointed to a map of Remnant on his board. There were four spots he had drawn a circle on in red marker.

"Demon activity is at its peak in these locations, almost as if they're being drawn there. There's no doubt that there's a significance to these locations."

The four girls looked at the map. There was a red circle drawn on each continent.

"Ares has to be at one of these locations," Ruby said.

"The most effective way to end a war is to defeat the general. Without the leader the troops will be in disarray," Oobleck responded.

Weiss looked at the clock. "Our next class is starting soon."

The four girls went towards the door. As they left Ruby turned towards her teacher.

"Take care professor."

Oobleck smiled and waved her goodbye. "Take care, Miss Rose."

Ruby's eyes went to the professor's empty shirt sleeve and felt a small pang of sadness.

XxX

After their classes ended Team RWBY went back to their dorm room. Today was more productive than they thought. At least now they had an idea of where the demons' leader might be.

"So what do we do now?" Ruby asked.

"Well we can't just go trudging all over Remnant looking for one person," Weiss replied.

"Let's try the place closest to Vale. Maybe we'll get lucky."

Yang flopped back onto her bed. "We need a break."

At that moment the room began to violently shake. The chairs at the desks fell over, and the books on the shelf were thrown to the floor.

Ruby felt a rumbling in her stomach. She put a hand over her mouth. "What's happening?"

Yang fell off her bed with a thud. She rose to her feet and wiped blood from her nose. "I think it's an earthquake."

The shaking subsided, and the four girls groggily rose to their feet.

"What was that about?" Weiss asked.

An alarm rang from each of their scrolls. The same pleasant female voice they had heard before came through their scrolls.

"A Sector has appeared."

"What's a Sector?" Blake asked.

The other girls shrugged.

Ruby looked at her scroll. According to the notification the sector was twenty miles outside of Vale.

"It wouldn't take us too long to get there."

Yang shook her head. "Let's do it tomorrow. The last thing we should do is charge into enemy territory half cocked."

"Yang's right, we should make every preparation possible," Weiss responded.

Ruby knew that they were right. This was their chance to end the invasion. They needed as many advantages as they could get.

A familiar jingle played on each of the girl's scrolls.

"A new function of the Demon Summoning Program has been unlocked. You can now use Demon Fusion."

XxX

The next morning Team RWBY were on their way to the hangar to commandeer an airship. They had the Sector marked on their map, and it would be a short flight to get there.

Ruby opened the fusion program and was greeted by an elderly man wearing black sunglasses and a blue robe. He waved his arms dramatically and spoke with an overly bombastic voice.

"Welcome to the Cathedral of Shadows, where demons gather. I see that this is your first time using the Fusion Application. I will be more than happy to walk you through it. Fusion is the act of combining two demons to create a more powerful one. It can allow you to create demons far more powerful than the average. In fact, there are some demons that can only be acquired through fusion. I encourage you to experiment as much as possible. Good day, and happy fusion."

Ruby wasn't able to fuse anything as she only had one demon, but she knew that this was an invaluable tool.

"Fusion, huh?" Yang said.

"Does this mean we'll have to get more demons?" Weiss asked, hesitation clear in her voice.

The others noticed that Weiss had yet to obtain even one demon. She fared just fine with her sword skills and arsenal of Dust. The others were happy to leave her to her own devices, but the question lingered of how long she could last before the demons became too strong for her to handle with just her own skills.

"All things in time," Blake said.

"Hey, you guys are heading out too?" a voice asked.

Jaune stood in the hall with his teammates. It was clear by looking at them that they had the same idea as Ruby's team.

"Yeah, we're gonna investigate the Sector that just popped up," Yang replied.

"Great, we can all go together."

Each student heard the sound of heels clacking on tile and froze.

"Where are you going?" Glynda asked. Despite her attempts to keep a neutral expression the vein pulsing in her temple betrayed her true feelings.

"M-Miss Goodwitch, we were just-," Ruby started before being cut off.

"Don't bother. You all are going to the Sector that just appeared, correct? That works perfectly for me. I actually came to ask you for a favor."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "A favor?"

Glynda pinched the bridge of her nose. "Last night when the Sector first appeared two students left to investigate on their own and we have yet to hear back from them. I'd like you to retrieve them, or at least retrieve their bodies if possible."

"What students?"

"While I do not know the other student, I know that one is Cardin Winchester."

"Cardin? Why would he go in alone?" Nora asked.

"I do not presume to understand that boy's way of thinking, but I would rather he survive this attack of hubris. If you find him, please bring him to me."

Ruby nodded. "Will do Ms. Goodwitch."

XxX

After commandeering a Bullhead they made their way to the Sector. They used the time before their arrival to take stock of what they had.

Nora and Ren had acquired demons of their own, but Pyrrha had yet to acquire one. Despite her best efforts she couldn't successfully negotiate with a single one. The only thing she had to show for her efforts was a scar on her cheek that she got when a demon bit her on the face.

Jaune on the other hand had proven himself a natural hand at negotiating. He had more demons than he knew what to do with, which made his fusions even more effective. He had spent the previous night experimenting with different combinations.

Yang leaned back in her seat. "How much longer?"

"Another hour at most," Blake replied. "How will we know when we found it?"

"Domains looked like giant tentacle things, so a Sector would be a really big tentacle thing, right?"

Ruby looked out the window and dropped her scroll in surprise. "Guys? You need to see this."

The others went to the window and gasped. Looking out the window they saw a massive dark purple dome crackling with energy. There were storm clouds above sending huge bolts of lightning everywhere.

Ruby pulled out her map and checked it against the location of the Sector.

Lakeview Village, a small community of just over a thousand people. That's what was there before the Sector appeared.

She broke out into a sweat. Even the stronger demons limited their Domains to a single building. This demon had to be unimaginably powerful to swallow an entire village.

"Ares is in there somewhere, I know it."

"Then let's find him and take him out," Jaune said.

It wasn't long before the storm made it too dangerous to continue flying. They landed their ship and walked the rest of the way. In time they were right outside the Sector.

Ruby gingerly stuck her hand into the swirling mass of energy. She felt a shock run through her body.

"It's not that bad. We can go right in."

Ruby walked into the dome, with the others close behind her.

The inside of the dome was nothing like they expected. It was a massive cavern of solid ice. The walls, floors, and ceiling were completely frozen.

"What is this?" Blake asked.

"It's not cold at all," yang observed. She knelt down and touched the floor. It felt like ice, but it was warm to the touch.

Blake could hear demons everywhere. There were more here than they had ever encountered. That made sense. If the demon's leader was here then this would be where the most demons would gather.

Nora looked in every direction. "This place is huge. How are we gonna find anyone in a place this big?"

"We'll have to split up," Ren said.

Jaune sighed. "I figured you would say that. Either way, you're right. We'd cover more ground separately. Ruby and her team will go one way, we'll go another."

"Are you sure we should?" Pyrrha asked.

"Any other time I'd say we should stick together, but this is an emergency. We have to find Cardin, and whoever this other student is."

Pyrrha decided to trust her leader's judgment.

Ruby readied her weapon. "We have our objectives: rescue the missing students, and find and kill Ares. This mission is only a success if all of us come back alive, so don't go dying on me."

Yang laughed. "I'm not dying today."

Weiss shook her head. "A little dramatic don't you think?"

Ruby sighed. "Come on you guys."

Jaune couldn't hold back his laughter either. "Don't worry, Ruby. We'll all make it back, I promise."

Teams RWBY and JNPR went their separate ways, each one filled with a newfound determination.

 _Mission: Huntsman Rescue been accepted._


	8. Battlefield

Despite traveling for hours they hadn't come any closer to finding Ares. They killed scores of demons, but none would divulge any information as to his whereabouts. Even the group of demons they just killed simply sang their praises for their lord before dying.

Weiss wiped blood off of her sword. "I'm certain I've killed that Knocker at least five times."

The others noticed it as well. The variety of demons in the Sector was low, but they existed in large numbers. That could mean one of two things: either the demons were coming back after being killed, or there were so many that losing this many meant nothing. Neither idea made them feel any better.

They kept traveling through the cavern. They went through dead ends, one way doors, and false walls, but weren't any closer to their goal.

Weiss coughed into her hand. "Does anyone else find it hard to breathe in here?"

Yang shrugged. "I feel fine, maybe you should exercise more."

Weiss gave Yang a sideways glance. "Excuse me? I'll have you know I train just as hard as the rest of you."

Without warning the four girls were assaulted by a barrage of icicles. Each one jumped several feet away before they were impaled. The crashing spears of ice sent up a cloud of frost and dust. When the obstruction cleared a demon stood in their way. It was a Jack Frost, wearing a familiar smile.

Weiss did a double take. "Isn't that Ruby's demon?"

Ruby looked at her scroll. The Jack Frost she had obtained in the forest was still in her roster. She had an idea. She summoned her demon and started a conversation.

She waved at the demon. "Hey."

The demon perked up on seeing its companion. "Oh, you've got my friend with you, ho. I hee-hope you're treating him well."

The demon tossed something to Ruby. She caught it in her hand and looked at it. It was a small gem. Ruby had no idea what it was, but she could feel a strange energy inside of it.

The demon turned to leave. "See you around, ho."

"Wait!" Ruby cried out. "While you're here, do you think you could help us with something?"

The demon quizzically tilted its head to the side. "With what, ho?"

"We're looking for Ares. We've been all over this place and we can't find him. Do you know where he is?"

"Lord Ares? He's downstairs in the training grounds, ho. It's the next floor down, ho."

"Thanks."

The demon walked away.

"So we know where he is, now we just need to find some stairs," Yang said.

Blake looked at a map of the Sector on her scroll. "There's one spot we haven't been to yet. The stairs should be there."

After more traveling they found a set of stairs going downward into a pitch black tunnel.

Blake went out in front with the others following close behind.

"I wonder what the training ground is like," Ruby said.

"What kind of training do demons do anyway?" Weiss asked.

Yang shrugged. "Probably the same kind we do."

Weiss rolled her eyes, despite no one being able to see her doing it. "That's absurd. You think they have demon weightlifting, or demon 5k runs?"

"Eh, just a thought."

They reached the end of the hallway and found themselves in front of a pair of large steel doors. Blake gave them a tentative push and found they were far too heavy for her to move.

Yang stepped forward and stretched her arms. She braced herself against the door and pushed with all her strength. With a groan the doors slowly opened. As soon as they opened fully the girls stepped through.

At least they thought they did.

Weiss looked around in disbelief. "We're still in the Sector, right?"

"I'm not sure," Ruby replied. She looked at her scroll, the map displaying that they had descended one floor below where they had started.

Yang took a step back. "This is insane."

Each of the four girls took in their surroundings. If the past couple of months hadn't happened they would be convinced that this was a dream or a hallucination.

They were no longer in a cave. Looking up they could see the starry night sky. Judging from the snow falling it was the middle of winter. They were standing in the middle of a city. The buildings were either ablaze or piles of rubble. The streets were littered with charred and bullet-riddled bodies. Listening closely they could hear the sounds of gunfire in the distance.

This was a war zone.

"This is their training ground?" Weiss asked, incredulous. She slapped her face a few times to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

Blake took a closer look at the surrounding buildings. "Doesn't this place look familiar?"

Realization dawned on Yang's face. "Yeah, wasn't this in one of Oobleck's classes?"

Ruby had no idea what they meant. "What are you talking about?"

"Black Pike. This is the location of one of the deadliest battles in the Great War. An entire city was destroyed, and thousands of people died, soldier and civilian alike."

Weiss looked up and saw a body hanging out a window. It looked like they were trying to escape, but were gunned down. The wall around them was cracked and filled with bullet holes.

Blake went up to a body lying on the ground. She turned it over and saw that there were fresh claw marks across its chest. The blood was still warm.

Blake sighed. "I think we should rule out finding any survivors."

Weiss looked up. "Do you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Yang replied.

There was a high pitched whistling that gradually grew louder.

Blake's eyes widened. "Run!"

The girls scattered before the ground beneath them exploded. Dust and debris was sent in every direction.

Ruby couldn't hear anything except a loud ringing noise. She coughed and stumbled to her feet.

"What was that!?" she shouted.

Weiss dragged herself off of the ground and brushed the dirt off of her dress. "I think that was a mortar shell. I read that this village got bombed into rubble.

Blake's ears twitched. She heard another high pitched whistling.

"We can't stay here."

The girls ran to escape the bombardment. After running for several miles they were finally clear of the bombing area.

Weiss stopped to catch her breath. She leaned against a lamppost and breathed heavily. "I hate it here."

"You're not the only one," Yang replied. "But something's been bugging me; they called this the training field, but this is just a human village. What good would this be for training?"

Blake took in her surroundings. The burning houses, the crater filled roads, and the scattered bodies. "They're trying to learn from us."

Yang couldn't help but agree. "Who better to teach the art of war than humans?"

Weiss walked ahead of the rest of the group. "It's useless to try and understand the demons. We're going to kill them all anyway."

They continued to travel until they heard sounds of combat. They saw a group of small, red skinned demons attacking a lone individual.

Each demon shot jets of fire from their hands that the human expertly dodged. After putting some distance between them the human drew their weapon. It was a long, red and gold staff that broke apart to form two pairs of nunchuks. He spun his weapons and unleased a spray of bullets that tore the attacking demons to pieces. After the assault was over he fell to his knees and groaned in pain.

Blake was the first to recognize the young hunter. "Sun?"

She ran to him and propped him up. "What are you doing here?"

Sun Wukong laughed weakly. "Boy am I glad to see you."

"I thought you went back to Haven with Neptune."

"Like I'm gonna miss out on this. If Neptune doesn't want to have any fun then that's on him."

Blake looked over Sun's body. He was covered in cuts and bruises. If what Glynda said was true, then he had been fighting for an entire day before they arrived.

Blake let go of sun and let him drop to the ground with a thud.

"Ow!" Sun said, clutching his side. "What was that for?"

Blake shook with fury. "You monkey-brained dumbass! What were you thinking coming in here alone? This isn't a game, Sun. you could have died."

"Alright, first of all, that's offensive. Second of all, it all worked out didn't it? I don't understand what you're getting all upset for."

Blake let out a heavy sigh. She knew that Sun would jump headfirst into anything he thought would interest him with no care for the consequences. She stood up and helped him to his feet. "Can you walk?"

Sun avoided putting weight on his left foot. "Got a bad sprain. Landed wrong trying to dodge one of those bombs."

Ruby didn't know why, but she pulled the gem she received earlier from her pocket. It pulsed in her hand, like it was alive. She didn't understand why, but she knew that it would be useful.

She handed the gem to Sun. "Here, take this."

Sun took the gem from Ruby and examined it. "Thanks, but what am I supposed to do with this?"

"You're supposed to eat it," Ruby answered matter-of-factually.

Sun took a second look at the gem, then he shrugged and popped it in his mouth. He swallowed it and pondered the taste.

"Not bad," he said.

"Are you okay?" Yang asked.

Sun shrugged. After a few seconds he was surrounded by a faint bluish glow. His wounds closed up. He stepped on his bad foot and found that his sprain had healed.

"Cool," he said.

"Do you think you can make it out of here?" Blake asked.

Sun turned and walked towards the exit. "See you guys back at Beacon."

After he left the other girls looked at Ruby.

"How did you know that would work?" Weiss asked.

"I didn't," Ruby replied.

Her eyes began to throb again. She ignored the pain and kept walking. In time the four were in front of a pair of massive steel doors adorned with chains.

The girls' scrolls started pinging.

"Warning, a powerful demon has been detected."

Yang had a large grin on her face. "Best news I've heard all day."

Ruby drew her weapon. "Let's go."

 _Mission: Eliminate Ares has been accepted_

XxX

Jaune looked around the destroyed city. The black plumes of smoke rising in the air, the brick walls topped with barbed wire, and the burning vehicles.

"This is insane."

"It's hard to believe this is still the same cave we came in," Ren said.

Nora's eyes were drawn to the bodies littering the ground. This wasn't an unfamiliar sight, but it wasn't something she ever wanted to see again.

"Let's find Cardin so we can get out of here."

"This place is quite large. How are we going to find him?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune sighed. "Let's just look for the trail of dead demons. Cardin's the type to charge headfirst into a fight."

As they searched for their fellow student they heard sounds of combat. They had no way of knowing if it was Cardin or another hunter that had entered the Sector.

Ren watched a snowflake dance through the air before slowly falling into his hand. He looked at the ground, at the white streaked with red. He clenched his fist until his nails dug into his palm.

"These demons need to be destroyed."

The sounds of fighting grew even louder. They turned a corner and found Cardin locked in combat with a demon. The demon was even taller than the seven foot Cardin, with red skin and a horn on its head. It wielded a long club that was covered in sharp looking spikes. The two fighters swung their weapons at each other. Their powerful attacks colliding shattered the ground beneath them.

Cardin was bleeding from his head, and his hands were dripping with blood. He had likely stripped the skin off from fighting for so long. Despite his injuries he couldn't stop laughing. He had a wide smile as he assaulted his opponent.

"Yeah, this is what I want. You're so much better than these other weaklings. I gotta have you for myself."

He pressed a button on the handle of his mace. The crystal embedded in the head began to glow. He swung it again and struck the demon in the stomach. The mace exploded, sending the seemingly heavy demon flying several feet. Cardin seized on the opportunity and jumped onto the demon's body. He raised his club over its head.

"Two choices: join me or I cave your skull in."

The demon laughed. "You're pretty tough, I'll give you that. I get the feeling you and me are gonna get along just fine. Fair warning though, if you turn out to be some weakling, I'll kill you."

Cardin's smile grew even bigger. "Same here, ugly."

"The name's Oni. I'm fighting with you from now on."

The demon flowed into Cardin's scroll. It played a familiar tune before a woman's voice was heard.

"A new demon has been acquired."

 _Oni_

 _Brute Race  
_

 _An evil monster of Japanese lore known for its hideous visage and brute strength. They plunder and loot villages, massacring the townspeople with their iron clubs._

Cardin chuckled. "Sounds like my kinda guy."

As soon as the fight was over he sat down and leaned against a nearby wall.

Jaune ran up to him. "Are you okay?"

Cardin frowned at the arrival of Team JNPR. "What do you guys want?"

"We're here to help you."

"What part of this looks like I need your help?"

"The part where you're on the ground bleeding," Nora interjected.

Cardin glared at her and tightened on his grip on his mace. "You wanna fight?"

Nora smirked at him. "I think you should take it easy, we wouldn't want those wounds of yours to open up."

Ren stepped in between them. "That's enough, Nora."

He extended his hand towards Cardin. Cardin slapped Ren's hand away and stood up on his own. He took a step forward and winced in pain.

"I'd like to take on this Ares, but I think we should get out of here."

"So now that we've found Cardin, does that mean the mission's over?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune shook his head. "This isn't over until we're back at Beacon safe and sound. Same goes for Team RWBY."

"You're leaving already? Come on, I wanna have some fun too."

That voice didn't belong to anyone they knew. They looked up and saw a young boy sitting on a wall leisurely kicking his feet back and forth. He had a spear slung over his shoulder.

He jumped off of the wall and waved at the hunters. "Hi. My name's Setanta. I'm the leader of Lord Ares' vanguard squad."

This was the most human-like demon they had found yet. His blue outfit covered by white armor, his bowl cut hairstyle, and the blue scarf he had tied around his mouth made him look far more human than the other demons they had encountered.

But there was no denying the boy's power. They could feel it. this boy was a powerful fighter even among the demons.

Jaune stepped forward. "We don't want to fight you."

Setanta frowned. "Why not?"

He tightened his grip on the spear and ran towards the hunters.

Ren found the demon in his face with a spear speeding towards him. It was far too fast to avoid. Ren used his hand to deflect the spear to keep it from piercing his spine, instead sending it through his side. He cried out in pain as the spear head pierced through his body.

Sentanta wrenched the spear from Ren's body, leaving the young man on the ground in a pool of blood.

The demon sighed with disappointment. "Man, humans are really fragile."

He ran toward Jaune and stabbed at his chest. Jaune raised his shield to block. He gasped when he felt the blow land. The demon's spear thrust was like a cannonball. Jaune's shield arm went numb after taking that blow.

Undeterred, Jaune stepped forward and slashed at the demon. Grinning, the demon deflected the sword with his spear, then stabbed Jaune in the foot. Jaune grit his teeth, right before a metal fist crashed into the side of his head. Jaune heard the sounds of bones cracking as he went flying through a wall.

Sentanta examined his fingers. "This is way more boring than I thought it would be."

Nora looked at her friend on the ground in a bloody heap. Her heart started pounding as she ground her teeth together. She didn't say a word as she drew her scroll and summoned her demon. It appeared to be the head of a wolf wreathed in white lightning. An electric like Raijuu demon was a perfect fit for Nora.

Nora commanded the demon to attack her. The beast roared and buried its fangs into her shoulder, its electricity coursed through her body.

Ever since she unlocked her semblance she experimented with different ways to activate it. She had tried car batteries, sticking forks into electrical sockets, even embedding dust crystals into her body. What she discovered was that the boost in power from those methods didn't compare to the bolt of lightning that caused her to unlock her semblance.

But demon magic was different. The boost in power it provided far outstripped any other methods. There were drawbacks, but at the moment she didn't care.

She crouched down and exploded forward, swinging her hammer at the demon's head. The demon ducked, the gust of wind generated by the hammer scattering the snow on the ground. The demon jumped into the air, but found Nora above him. She swung downwards with all her strength, sending the demon crashing into the ground.

Setanta got back up and shot towards Nora like a rocket. His spear thrusts were too fast for normal people to see, but Nora managed to block all of them. The demon frowned. he felt like his attacks were getting slower. He stepped back before Nora's hammer crushed his head and thrust toward the vulnerable hunter. The spear was far too slow to hit its target, giving Nora enough time to recover and destroy Setanta's left leg with a swing of her hammer.

Setanta was lying on his back. He looked up and saw Nora standing over him with her hammer above her head. With a grin he thrust at her with his spear. To his shock the spear's tip was just a hair's breadth from piercing through her chest. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't move it. He looked to his side and saw the red haired woman with her arm extended. There was a black energy surrounding her hand.

While the demon was distracted by Pyrrha, Nora's hammer came crashing down on his head, crushing his skull. After two more swings Nora felt confident that the demon was dead.

Nora put her weapon away, then fell to her knees and started coughing up blood. It felt like her entire body was on fire. For reasons she couldn't understand, she wasn't immune to the magical lightning the demons created. The energy wreaked havoc on her body. She couldn't move her arms, and her legs felt like gelatin. She finally slumped over and passed out.

Cardin walked up to Pyrrha with Ren and Jaune slung over his shoulder. "I think it's time we left."

Pyrrha nodded in agreement. She grabbed Nora and carried the unconscious girl on her back.

The two hunters and their injured companions walked away from the desolate battlefield, confident that their friends could defeat the leader of the demon army.

 _Mission: Huntsman Rescue has been successfully completed_


	9. Warrior

Ruby pushed the doors open. Beyond them was a wide open field. In the center of the field was a large pile of burning corpses. Judging by the size of the pile there had to be well over a hundred bodies.

Each girl had the same thought. They hated that such a sight had become commonplace in such a short time. They had heard stories of things like this happening, usually due to the Grimm or bandits. That night in the club they were gripped by indecision at the sheer horror they saw, but now it was just another day.

Blake looked around the area. She couldn't hear anything, and the malevolence she normally felt from the demons was completely absent. The four hunters were the only ones in the area.

"Where is Ares?" she asked.

There was a flash like a bolt of lightning, then several more. The ground shook, and after one last burst of light a demon appeared before them.

The demon could easily be mistaken for a human if not for his dark red skin. His golden armor and white skirt and cape reminded them of Pyrrha's combat attire.

This was Ares, the commander of the demon army.

He smiled at the four warriors.

"To think I would encounter humans capable of surviving in this land. You have done well to reach me, but your efforts will be for naught. My soldiers will march upon the human world, and we will not be stopped. For centuries my kind have pondered our lack of success, but then we discovered the answer. We simply studied your methods. There are none better at killing humans than humans themselves. It was your kind that perfected the art of slaughter after all. You call us evil and consign us to the netherworld, but you humans crave combat just as we do. Without us to make into an enemy, you have no choice but to fight amongst yourselves. Tell me, are we demons not the righteous ones?"

Yang shook her head. "You talk too much. I don't care about your whining, I just want you dead."

Ares laughed so hard the ground shook. "You are spirited indeed. It is rare that I see a human with such qualities. However, you are right. Neither of us are likely to be swayed by the sweeping sounds of words. We will use strength to decide who is right."

Ares drew his sword. In an instant the atmosphere changed. The already cold air became even colder. All eyes were drawn to the sword.

They had fought before. They had fought Knights, Grimm, terrorists, and criminals, but they were always confident in their chances of victory. But this was different. This was a fight to the death against a demon. Each of them knew that there was a chance that they wouldn't survive this battle.

Ruby took a step forward and summoned her demon. She hoisted her weapon and charged at Ares.

Ares swung his sword and a powerful gust of wind slammed into Ruby and knocked her off her feet. It felt like getting hit by a car. She looked up and saw a spray of ice shards flying towards Ares.

Ares batted away the ice with his sword and laughed. "You are spirited for a young girl."

A burning streak flew towards Ares. Yang's blond hair had an orange glow to it. She used one hand to grip his sword arm while she buried the other in his stomach. Ares slumped over, right before Yang belted him in the face with another blow.

Yang's crimson eyes were cut in a sharp glare. "So you like 'em feisty? How about trying me on then?"

Ares grinned in response. He leaned back and drove his head into Yang's. The metal helmet crashing into her skull left her seeing spots.

In the next instant Ares found Galm's jaws clamped around his upper arm. Its teeth sank into his flesh.

Ares laughed even harder. "A beast wants to fight me? Very well."

He flexed his arm, and his muscles suddenly became hard as steel, shattering Galm's teeth. It fell to the ground, and Ares drove his sword through its head. The demon cried out before dissolving into darkness.

Yang ground her teeth. She had liked that demon.

Blake and Weiss appeared overhead and attacked the demon. Blake swung down with her cleaver while Weiss stabbed with her sword.

Ares blocked Blake's attack with his sword and grabbed Weiss' rapier with his empty hand. He yanked her forward and buried his foot in her stomach. Weiss' mouth filled with bile as she was sent rolling across the ground. As Blake landed in front of him Ares struck out at her with his sword. Blake raised her sword to block, but was completely overpowered by the demon. Ares struck again, impaling Blake on his sword. Blake's arms went limp as she faded away, the real Blake having taken several steps back.

Yang's burning fist crashed into Ares' head. As soon as the blow landed his own fist sped up and struck her under her chin. Yang flew away and landed on her back.

Ares laughed. "You are all quite skilled to last so long against me. I applaud your strength. I have half a mind to recruit you for my army."

Ruby fired a round at Ares in response. "No chance. We became hunters because we took a vow to defend humanity. We'll do whatever it takes to defeat you, even if that means laying down our lives."

Ruby's eyes burned with determination.

Ares looked into her bright silver eyes. His expression shifted into an intense scowl. He raised his sword above his head and his body was wreathed in an orange glow. He swung it down into the ground and unleashed a wall of fire that spread toward the four girls.

At that moment a massive wall of ice appeared in front of them to block the flames. Ares charged through the wall and attacked the nearest girl, Ruby.

Ruby ducked under his sword and fired her weapon as she swung it. Ares jumped over her low swipe, only for Blake to appear in front of him with her short sword. She tackled him to the ground and raised her sword over his head. Ares wrapped his hand around her throat and effortlessly crushed her windpipe.

Blake's head lolled about before her body disappeared. The real Blake shot towards Ares like rocket and slashed at his neck. Ares raised his sword to block the attack, right before another came from behind him. Then another, then another.

Blake's attacks were so fast it appeared that there were a dozen of her. Ares could barely keep up with the relentless onslaught. He disappeared in a shower of sparks and black streaks.

Ruby looked at Blake. Her body was engulfed in the faint white glow of Weiss' time glyph. Blake was fast normally, but now she was even faster.

Slowly but surely Ares began to adjust to Blake's speed. He cleaved one copy in two, then impaled another through the chest, then crushed one's ribcage underfoot. He decapitated another copy when it violently exploded, blowing him away from her. He stumbled to his feet and cut down another copy when the real Blake appeared from behind and severed his left foot.

Ares stumbled for a second before balancing himself on his remaining leg. At that moment Blake wrapped her arms around his waist. She inhaled and squeezed as tightly as she could.

"Now!" she shouted.

Weiss had her sword pointed at Ares. Her aura was swirling around her. She had taken time to charge her ultimate attack.

Ares grinned. "A sacrificial attack? How amusing. But I am afraid that there is no way this will work."

He raised his sword and stabbed down through Blake's collarbone, the blade traveling down and piercing her heart. Blood spewed from Blake's mouth, but instead of losing strength her grip became even tighter.

She looked up at Ares and smiled. "Bad move."

As soon as those words left her lips, Blake turned into a stone statue. Ares' sword was still buried in her body, and no matter how hard he pulled it wouldn't budge.

Weiss took that as the signal to fire. She unleashed her attack and sent a massive beam of white energy directly towards Ares. His body was completely vaporized.

Ares' laughter echoed throughout the battlefield.

"You are all stronger than I expected. It seems that there are some true warriors left among humanity after all."

Weiss fell to her knees panting. "Is it over?"

None of them could feel Ares' energy. It seems he was really dead.

Ruby jumped to her feet and pumped her fist. "We did it!"

"So, is it over?" Blake asked.

Each of the girl's scrolls played an upbeat jingle. A familiar voice was heard in the snowbound wasteland.

"Congratulations, the Fury Ares can now be summoned through fusion."

"What?" the four girls said simultaneously.

Ruby opened the fusion application. Sure enough Ares was listed under special fusions.

Ruby furrowed her brow. Something was off about this, but she wasn't sure what. Luckily Weiss was there to help voice her complaint.

"Looking at his abilities, doesn't Ares seem kind of weak?"

She looked at the list of special fusions. There were dozens of demons, nearly all of them blacked out. Ares himself was near the top of the list. As Weiss went down the list, the demons became less and less humanoid. Once she reached the bottom looking at the outlandish silhouettes of the highest level demons hurt her eyes.

Blake fell to the ground and put her head in her hands. "So Ares was just a small fry?"

Yang screamed and punched a hole in the ground. "Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?! How many more of these things do we have to kill?"

The girls were in disbelief. This was the toughest opponent they had ever faced, but among the demons he was just another weakling. How many more demons were out there that were even stronger than Ares? What would they do if they encountered one?

Ruby sighed and looked up at the snow falling from the sky. That's when it hit her. She looked around and saw that they were still in the war torn city.

"Guys, the Sector's still here."

The girls finally realized that something was wrong. Ares was dead, but the Sector still remained.

"What does it mean?" Weiss asked.

Yang got up and went toward the door. "We can think about that later, for now let's just head back to Beacon."

As they were leaving Ruby saw something out of the corner of her eye. It was a large jewel the size of her hand, buried partly in the snow. She picked it up and saw that there were markings carved into it. She put it in her pocket and went to join the rest of her team. As she left, she felt a strange heat on the back of her neck, like someone was watching her.

 _Mission: Eliminate Ares has been successfully completed_

XxX

Once they had returned to Beacon Team RWBY met with Jaune and Pyrrha in Team JNPR's dorm. From what they had learned, Ren and Nora were still in the infirmary, Sun had mostly superficial injuries, and Cardin refused to be seen by a doctor.

Jaune wanted to scream when he heard what Ruby told him about Ares. His team nearly lost their lives against one of Ares' soldiers, and now it turns out that Ares was nothing special among the demons after all.

Pixie situated herself in a bowl of fruit and was casually eating a grape.

"Ares? That wuss? No way was he in charge of anything important."

Jaune grabbed Pixie by her wings and held her in front of his face. "If you knew this whole time, why didn't you tell us?"

"You didn't ask."

Jaune dropped Pixie.

Ruby walked up to her friend. "Are you guys okay?"

Jaune tenderly placed a hand on the side of his head. "I'm good, just a busted jaw and a bruised ego. Ren's still in the infirmary. They say he needs a couple days to rest up. Nora… Nora still hasn't woken up."

A heavy silence hung in the air. Nora suffered the worst injuries out of all of them. Her battle against Setanta took a greater toll than any she had in her life.

This was just another reminder of the demons' strength. To win they would have to push themselves harder than ever before.

Ruby got up and placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"Nora's going to be fine, don't worry."

Jaune sighed. "I can't help it. I'm her leader, I'm supposed to look out for her."

"And how is beating yourself up looking out for her?" Weiss asked in her usual icy tone.

Jaune looked dumbfounded. His eyes went down to the floor before snapping back up.

"You're right. Feeling sorry for myself isn't helping anyone."

Ruby and her teammates went for the door. As they were leaving Ruby turned toward Jaune. "Let us know if anything changes, okay?"

"You got it, Ruby," the blonde swordsman responded.

XxX

The girl kept a brisk pace as she crept through the city. Even in the middle of the night the soldiers and police kept up their patrols. No one could blame them for being on high alert, after all the demons had claimed numerous lives already. But their valiance was merely an annoyance to the girl. It just made sneaking around far more difficult than it had to be.

After an hour of weaving through side streets and back alleys she arrived at her destination. It was an abandoned warehouse in Vale's industrial district. The building had been condemned years ago, but no one had ever gotten around to demolishing it. Over the years various criminal gangs used it as a hideout. Tonight was no different.

The rusted hinges screeched as the girl forced the door open. As soon as she stepped inside she found herself staring down a cane pointed right at her face. She grimaced and pushed it to the side.

"Watch where you're pointing that thing," she said.

The man holding the cane chuckled. "You can never be too careful. What if you were a cop?"

"The next time you point that thing at me, I'm shoving it up your-"

"Emerald," a deep, female voice called out.

Emerald stiffened when she heard it. She looked up and saw her master leaning over a railing, her long black hair covering most of her face. "Cinder! You're back already?"

Cinder smiled at her subordinate. "Yes, it wasn't quite as difficult as I thought it would be. Mercury should return in the next couple of weeks. But more importantly, were you able to complete your objective."

Emerald broke out into a sweat. She looked down at the ground and balled up her fists.

"I'm sorry, by the time I arrived they were already there. They defeated Ares and took the artifact."

Cinder's lips curled into a small frown, but the steel rail melting in her hands betrayed how angry she truly was.

"I see, so you have failed."

Emerald put her hands up in a pleading motion. "Please, give me a chance to make this right. I promise I won't fail again."

"I know you won't. Besides, it's merely a minor setback. The plan will continue as normal."

Emerald breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes Ma'am."

Cinder looked at her roster of demons and grinned. She had amassed so much power in such a short time. No one would be able to stand in her way. Not Ozpin, not Ironwood, and certainly not Ruby Rose.

* * *

 **AN** : While I hesitate to call the jumbled mess that is the earlier chapters an arc, this chapter marks the end of the first arc. I have a much clearer idea of where I want the story to go from here and I can't wait to share it with you.

If you liked the chapter feel free to leave a review. Or even if you didn't, if I did something wrong I'd like to know about it.


	10. Rest

Ruby woke up on the floor in the Expanse. She felt her arm go numb from laying on it. As she dragged herself to her feet she made a mental note to ask Stephen to install some carpeting.

"Alright, let's see how far I have to walk this time."

To her surprise, she didn't have to travel very far. After an hour of walking she could hear the classical music that Stephen always listened to. She quickened her pace, but stopped when she saw someone pass her by. She did a double take, certain that she was just seeing things.

It was an older looking woman with blond hair down to her waist. She was wearing a flowing blue dress. The air around her seemed to shimmer, like she was on another plane of existence.

"Excuse me," Ruby called out.

The woman slowly turned around. Her cold, blue eyes looked upon Ruby with mild amusement. She walked up to Ruby and grabbed her by her face. She looked directly into Ruby's eyes. The woman's grin grew even wider.

"Fascinating. I haven't seen a child in this realm in quite some time."

Ruby knew at a glance that this woman wasn't human, but she didn't feel the hostility that the demons normally gave off. In fact, Ruby didn't feel anything from this woman, aside from the slight discomfort from having her face touched.

"Is there something on my face?" Ruby asked.

The woman let Ruby go. "I merely wanted a closer look at this land's Messiah."

"What's a Messiah?" Ruby asked. That wasn't a word she had ever heard before. But somehow, she knew that it was something important.

The woman laughed. "That is something you will have to discover on your own. You defeated Ares, but that is merely the beginning of your journey. The enemies you face will only become stronger from here. I wonder if you are truly prepared for the coming days. I am looking forward to see what path you choose."

The woman turned and walked away. As she was leaving Ruby called out to her.

"Wait, what's your name?"

The woman turned around and smiled at Ruby. "Louisa. Take care, child."

The woman placed a hand in front of her and opened a hole in the air. She walked through it and the portal disappeared.

Ruby knew that this wouldn't be the last time she would see this woman. She hoped that if they met again it would be as allies.

She looked down at the floor and saw that the woman's bare feet left imprints in the ground. Each footprint was surrounded by cracks. Ruby really hoped she wouldn't have to fight that woman.

Ruby ran towards Stephen's room and walked inside. Stephen was typing away at his computer like he always did.

"Hello again, Miss Rose," Stephen said, not looking up from his computer.

Ruby waved at him. "Hey Stephen. Do you know who that woman was?"

"What woman?" Stephen asked.

Ruby decided not to press that issue. She thought of something else.

"My friends and I defeated a really strong demon the other day. Except the demon's lair is still around. Why is that, and what are the Sectors?"

"I cannot say why the Sectors remain, but I can tell you what they are. Sectors are miniature versions of the demon realm. The demon realm is a blighted land completely inhospitable to humans. If left unchecked they will soon completely engulf your world."

"Inhospitable? How were my friends able to survive in there then?"

Stephen adjusted his glasses. "I suspect it is due to the Harmonizer. It adjusts your biological and spiritual wavelengths to match those of the demons. Without it, you would have died the instant you set foot in the Sector."

Ruby felt a chill. "So I shouldn't lose my scroll, got it. One more thing."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the gem she had found in the Sector. After another quick glance she handed it to Stephen. "Do you have any idea what this is?"

Stephen examined the gem closely. It was a red gem covered in gold letters.

"So you have acquired the first of the artifacts."

"The what?" Ruby asked.

Stephen gave Ruby the gem back. "The answer will become clear as you collect the rest."

Ruby pocketed the gem and sighed. "Maybe Ozpin knows what they are."

Stephen's eyebrows raised. It was the most overt display of emotion that Ruby had seen him make.

"Did you say 'Ozpin'?"

"Yeah, he's the headmaster at my school."

"I see. It appears my appearing before you was not a coincidence."

"I guess I'll have to ask Ozpin about it. See you next time."

She left Stephen's room and woke up in her bed.

She sat up and stretched out. A look at her scroll told her that it was two in the afternoon. She jumped out of bed and left her room.

She went to the school to find Ozpin. She didn't like carrying the gem around. She knew that it was incredibly important and didn't want to risk losing it or having it stolen.

She heard a pinging sound coming from her scroll. She looked and saw that Jaune had sent her a message.

 _Hey Ruby, you up? What am I saying, of course you're up if you're reading this. Anyway, me and Pyrrha are doing a joint mission with Team CFVY while Nora's still laid up. We don't know how long it'll take, but it shouldn't be that long. Your teammates have been training nonstop since you guys got back. Something really lit a fire under them._

 _I think I hear Coco yelling at me. I'll see you when I get back. Bye._

Ruby pocketed her scroll and went to find Ozpin. Her search didn't take long, as she found Ozpin and Glynda lounging near the school's entrance. They were watching a procession of students coming and going. Some were returning from their missions clearly worse for wear, others were setting out with a palpable sense of dread. Some teams Ruby had seen leave days ago, only to return short a member or more. Then there were the teams that never returned at all. Ruby couldn't comprehend how the people in charge of the school must feel.

She walked up to Ozpin and pulled the gem out of her pocket.

"Here, I think you should hold on to this."

She handed the gem to Ozpin. He gazed longingly at it, like he had finally found something he had spent years searching for. There was a faint glint in his eyes as he pored over the gem. After several seconds, he placed it in his pocket.

"I understand not wanting to keep this on your person. I assure you I will do everything I can to keep this safe."

"That's nice, but what is it?" Ruby asked.

"I'm afraid I cannot divulge that information quite yet. I will tell you when I am able."

Ruby shrugged. She could tell that the gem was important, but as long as no bad people had it then there was no problem.

"Now that that's taken care of, do you know where the rest of my teammates are?"

Glynda looked at her scroll. "They are in the training field. They've been training for nearly the entire day. It's a miracle they haven't succumbed to exhaustion."

Ruby ran off to find her teammates and waved the administrators goodbye.

"Thanks."

XxX

As soon as ruby walked into the training field she was blasted by an intense wall of heat. Near the center of the room was a massive pillar of yellow fire. Ruby could feel Yang's aura all the way from the entrance.

A small ember appeared on Ruby's sleeve. She panicked and hurriedly put it out. She summoned her aura and slowly made her way to the center of the room.

"Hey Yang," she called out.

Weiss shook her head. She was encased in ice from the neck down. Her face was covered in sweat. For someone used to the frigid climate of Atlas standing near Yang must be agony.

"She can't hear you. I wouldn't get too close, five kids already got sent to the infirmary."

Ruby took several steps back. "How long have you guys been at this?"

"Four hours. We're trying to increase our aura levels. It took everything we had to beat Ares. We need more strength."

Ruby nodded in agreement, then took a look around the room. "Where's Blake?"

"Over here," a voice called out.

Ruby turned and saw Blake slowly walking in a circle around Yang's fire. With every step she took she was burned to death, her clones being reduced to ash. Her clothes were singed in various places. It had clearly taken her multiple tries to get the timing right.

Ruby couldn't help but feel proud of her teammates. They understood that they needed to get stronger and took steps to correct their problem. Ruby smiled at her friends. She knew that as long as she had them there wasn't anything that could stop them.

The pillar of flame sputtered out, and Yang collapsed to the floor in a plume of smoke. She was breathing heavily, and there were burn marks over most of her body. Even though the flames were gone the heat Yang radiated was enough to melt the ice surrounding Weiss' body.

Weiss sprinkled some dust on Yang and the heat surrounding her body dissipated.

Yang coughed. "Alright, after we rest up we can get back to it."

Ruby stepped up to her sister. "I think you guys should call it a day."

Yang looked up at Ruby. "Hey." She rose to her feet and stumbled.

Ruby caught yang before she fell over. "Are you okay?"

Yang was still breathing heavily. "I'm fine, don't worry."

Ruby sighed. "You look awful. I understand you want to get stronger, but there's no point in training if you wreck your body in the process. You've done more than enough for today, so take a break."

Yang threw her arm around Ruby's neck. "If you say so."

Ruby struggled in Yang's grip. "Gross, you're covered in sweat. It's getting all over me"

Yang ran a hand through Ruby's hair. "Not like it's the first time."

Ruby flailed helplessly as she tried to escape from her sister. "Come on, I just took a shower."

Yang laughed at Ruby's discomfort and looked towards her other teammates. "So what do you guys wanna do?"

Blake picked off the burnt bits of her clothes. "I'm all for taking it easy for right now."

Having reached a consensus, the four girls left the training field to enjoy the rest of their day. In this new world blighted by the demons, a single day of rest was more than most could ask for.

XxX

Footsteps echoed through the dark tunnels. The two were in no hurry to arrive at their destination. If anything they were hesitating. As soon as they arrived then it would become real, no longer a faint idea that they could push to the edge of their minds. As they reached the end of the line they stood before a massive metal door.

There are only two people at Beacon authorized to access the area beneath the school, and there are only five people on Remnant allowed anywhere near the vault at the end of the basement's hall.

Ozpin held up his scroll as Glynda held up hers. The heavy gears in the vault door turned with a clank, and the huge steel rods holding the door shut retracted. The vault doors opened to a plain looking white room. The room was filled with various items. There were paintings that looked as though they were several decades old, a cache of fierce looking weapons, various piles of gold, gems, and other treasures, and what looked to be an ornate coffin. None of that was of any concern to the two at the moment. What mattered to them was the four empty pedestals near the center of the room. They were made of white stone, and each one had a word carved into it in a language no one alive could read.

Ozpin walked up to one of the pedestals and drew the gem from his pocket. He placed it on the white pillar and the gem floated up into the air and began to emit a faint glow. On its own its powers were weak, but as it was reunited with the rest, it would allow the wielder to obtain unimaginable power.

Of course, the two were the only ones who knew that, and how they had discovered that information was a secret they would take to their graves.

"How long can we keep this a secret?" Glynda asked.

Ozpin didn't hesitate to answer. "As long as we have to."

Glynda looked Ozpin directly in the eye. "You of all people know what Miss Rose is like. She won't back down from obtaining the rest of the artefacts, and when she does she's going to ask you about everything."

"And when she does I will not hesitate to tell her. To inform her now will only needlessly burden her."

"That girl is already bearing a heavier burden than anyone."

"I know, Glynda."

After speaking those three words a mixture of emotions crossed Ozpin's face. Glynda had never seen him look so tired, or so ashamed.

She let out a heavy sigh. He was carrying a burden as well, the kind no one would understand. Except for her.

Glynda looked at her roster of demons.

"They're still there, same as always. Maybe that person was right, maybe we can't escape our fate no matter what we do."

Ozpin looked at the sole demon in his possession. "Perhaps, but I do not intend to lay down and die for fate. If there is even the slightest chance of breaking free, then I'm going to take It." he turned towards Glynda and smiled at her. "I hope you will be there to assist me when that time comes."

Glynda sighed. "No matter what path you choose I will always stand by your side. I meant it then, and I mean it now."

"I am quite glad to have you as my ally. Now, I believe we should return to the school. Who knows what people might say about us if we remain gone for too long."


	11. Love

Nora's eyes slowly opened before being blinded by the bright infirmary lights. She wrenched them shut and waited for them to adjust. After a few seconds she sat up in her bed and stretched out. She looked down and saw that her clothes had been replaced with a blue hospital gown. She slowly placed her legs over the edge of her bed and moved them up and down. To her surprise her legs functioned like normal. She moved her arms and flexed her fingers. She hadn't lost any major motor functions. Confidently she got out of bed and stood up, only to fall face first onto the ground.

Nora sat up and rubbed her face. "Owww."

A look around the room told her that she was the only person in the room. She got to her feet and went to the door.

"Nora," a voice said to her.

Nora nearly jumped. She turned around and saw Ren sitting cross legged on the floor next to her bed. His eyes were closed like he was meditating.

Nora smiled at her friend. "Good morning to you too, Ren. How long was I out?"

Ren got up off the floor. "Two weeks. The doctors said that you suffered severe burns, your bicep muscles tore, and your internal organs were damaged." He gave Nora a stern look. "You pushed yourself too hard."

Nora looked down at the ground. "What's the big deal? It all worked out didn't it?"

Ren ground his teeth together and pulled the collar to Nora's gown to the side, exposing the two puncture wounds in her shoulder and the blackened skin surrounding them.

"Nora, I told you about this."

Nora slapped his hand away. "Well what was I supposed to do, just let you die?" she didn't know when she had started shouting, but now she couldn't stop. "You got hurt, and then you went down, and you were bleeding all over the place. I thought I was going to lose you. So yeah, I did something dangerous and reckless, but I did it to save your life!"

Ren raised his voice slightly. "And what if you had died trying to save me? Do you have any idea what it was like for me? Seeing you in a bed not knowing if you'd ever wake up? Watching you breathe through a machine? Do you have any idea what Jaune and Pyrrha were going through?"

Those words were like a knife in Nora's heart. Ren was a very reserved person. They had been traveling together for years but she could only recall three times he had ever expressed when something was bothering him. The first time was when they had met, the second the week before they decided to enroll in Beacon, and the third was just now.

Nora looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry, it's just that I panicked. You know, I heard people talking while I was asleep. They're saying that Ares isn't even the strongest demon out there. We're going to have to keep fighting, keep getting hurt. We might even die." She knew that Ren already knew what she really wanted to, but she needed to say it. If she didn't, she likely wouldn't get another chance.

"I'm scared, Ren."

Ren pulled her in close and wrapped his arms around her. "I know. I am too, but we can't allow that fear to consume us. Do you remember that night in my home village? We both made a vow that we would do everything we could to ensure that no one else goes through what we did. I know that things seem bleak, but we can't give in. if we fall, then everything is lost."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black dagger. "I want you to have this."

"What is it?" Nora asked.

"It belonged to my father," Ren said, like it was nothing at all.

Nora understood its significance immediately. "I can't take this."

Ren shook his head. "I want you to have it. I'll tell you what my father said to me when he gave it to me. Bravery is knowing you're afraid but acting anyway." He looked Nora in the eye. "As long as you're by my side I know I have nothing to fear."

Nora took the dagger and clutched it tight. "Thank you."

Ren had a slight smile on his face. "Come on, our friends are waiting for us."

XxX

Jaune and Pyrrha had returned from their joint mission with Team CVFY. They had managed to expel a group of demons from a nearby village while minimizing civilian casualties. Jaune was in considerably better spirits than when he left. Being able to chalk one up in the win column did wonders for his disposition.

Jaune was excitedly telling Ruby and her friends about what had happened on his journey.

"So, this demon gets the drop on me and tears a chunk out of me. I was bleeding all over the place, but it turns out it was just a flesh wound. I just had Pixie patch me up and I was right back in the fight."

Pixie stood on top of Jaune's head with a proud smile. "Of course, I'm the best Pixie in the world, and I've got the best master ever. There's no one alive that can stop us."

Jaune grabbed his demon and held her in his hand. "I've told you about coming out without my permission."

Pixie gave a sheepish grin. "Come on, a girl like me needs to stretch her wings every once in a while. Besides, what would you do without my smiling face?"

Jaune pressed a button on his scroll and returned Pixie to his roster.

"Anyway, Fox is fighting these demons and I swear there are twenty swords coming at him. He dodges all of them, takes out all the demons with his bare hands. Never seen anything like it."

Yang had a pensive look on her face. She lifted the side of Jaune's shirt. Just like he said there was a chunk of meat missing between his ribs and waist. There was a patch of freshly healed skin. Yang poked it and Jaune jumped out of his seat.

"Ow! Watch it, I'm still sore."

Pyrrha frowned at Jaune. "I don't think it's such a good idea to brag about getting injured. You were seriously hurt."

Jaune shrugged. "I'm not dead, that's all that matters. Besides, you took a hit too remember?"

The other girls looked at Pyrrha. Yang had a mischievous grin.

"Really? Someone managed to wound the Invincible Girl? Let me see your scar."

Pyrrha's face went red. "I don't have one."

Her swift denial just heightened everyone's suspicions.

Blake turned towards Jaune. "What happened?"

Pyrrha stared daggers at Jaune. "Don't you dare Jaune."

Coco strolled by the table on her way to her next class. "Pyrrha got stabbed in the ass."

There was a prolonged silence. Pyrrha's face went an even deeper shade of red. She buried her face in her hands as the table erupted with laughter.

Ruby nearly fell out of her seat from laughing so hard. "you got stabbed in the butt? are you kidding me?"

Yang put an arm around Pyrrha's shoulder. "you have to show me that scar later."

"how did that even happen?" Blake asked.

Pyrrha groaned. "I don't know. I thought this demon was dead, so I started walking away. Next thing I know I'm bleeding."

Jaune had joined in on the laughter as well. "You should have seen her on the flight back. She took every spare cushion she could get her hands on."

Nora walked up to the table and sat down next to Jaune. "Man, sounds like I missed something fun."

In the next instant Jaune had grabbed Nora out of her seat and wrapped her up in a crushing hug. Nora realized at that moment that Jaune was far stronger than he was at the beginning of the year.

"You're okay!" Jaune said, overjoyed.

Nora had a feeling that that would change in a few moments. "Ren, help!"

Ren ignored her pleas and began eating his lunch. At that moment Pyrrha had joined in the hug as well. The two superhumans threatened to crush Nora in their affection.

Nora tried to break free, but the combined strength of her two teammates had her firmly locked in place. In the end she chose to accept her fate. After what seemed like several minutes they let her down. She rubbed a sore spot on her back. An old saying she had read in a book suddenly popped into her head.

 _A huntsman's love is just as deadly as their wrath._

Nora sighed and smiled at her friends. Their love was something she held dear. Knowing that she had people who cared for her made all of the hardships she had endured in life worth it in the end.

XxX

In a tent in a forest in the middle of nowhere, a very important conversation was taking place. Neither of the participants knew at the time, but this would be the precursor to events that would shake the whole of Remnant.

"You are coming along nicely I hear."

"Nothing has changed on my end, although I wonder if this plan of yours is even worth continuing."

"Don't you worry about my plans. The demons were an unexpected variable, but nothing that can't be planned around. I will still need to make use of your men, so don't go too far."

"I understand."

Adam hung up his scroll. He hated talking to that woman. It was bad enough his goals ended up getting derailed due to her interference, but now he was nothing more than her lapdog; existing to fight and die at her command. That day in the tunnels was a stark reminder of how far he had fallen. He sacrificed his men on that woman's orders, and he had absolutely nothing to show for it. He was supposed to be their leader. They put their trust in him, and he betrayed them.

Adam threw his scroll into the ground. He sat back in his chair grinding his teeth together. There was a vein pounding in his temple. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so angry.

He heard someone walk in.

"Brother Adam?"

It was a woman about his age, with short brown hair and a pair of antlers on her head. She went by Deery. No one knew her real name; Deery was a nickname she was given during her initiation and she didn't bother to correct anyone. She had quickly proven herself a valuable member of the White Fang. Although she never received any formal training she quickly acquired a taste for combat. Perhaps it was a testament to her abilities that she was one of the only people to leave the tunnels alive.

Adam rose from his seat. "What is it, Deery?"

Deery blushed slightly. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

Adam brushed her aside. "my well being is none of your concern."

"I must disagree. You are our leader. Without you we are nothing."

Adam's eyes went to the empty sleeve where her left arm used to be. He felt a sharp pang of guilt. Even after tossing her into the jaws of death this girl still thought of him as her leader. They all did.

Adam sighed. "I'm not fit to call myself leader."

Deery placed her remaining hand on Adam's shoulder. "Don't talk like that. I made the choice to go down there, we all did. We joined the White Fang knowing that we might have to lay down our lives. I told you the day I joined that I would do anything to make your dream a reality. I meant it, and I still do."

Adam looked at the woman. Even through her mask he could see the bright sincerity in her eyes. He turned and left the tent and walked into the woods.

With every step he took his anger rose. He truly was unfit to lead. Those people placed their faith in him, and he had reduced them to pawns in someone else's game. How could he have fallen so far?

The answer hit him immediately. It was all because of that woman. Everything started to go wrong the day he met her. But he had no hope of escaping her grasp. She was far more powerful than he was. He needed power, power to defeat her, power to change the world, and the power to build a future for his people.

"I see the way your soul burns. Your passion, your rage, how exquisite it is."

The voice was like a weight inside of his brain. There was no one in the forest but him. He took another step but fell into a hole in the ground. When he landed he found himself in the center of a giant stadium. Dark sand blew in every direction. The sky was blood red. He could hear the cheers of the audience, but they weren't people. The stands were filled with skeletons. He had no idea where he was, but he knew he was in danger.

He heard that same voice again.

"Welcome to my arena. I brought you here so that we might do battle."

There was another skeleton in the arena with him, but this one wasn't like the ones in the audience. It was dressed like a bullfighter, with gold accented clothes. In one hand it held a staff with a red cape attached, in the other a curved sword.

Adam felt a chill. This was an incredibly powerful demon.

"Why do you want to fight me?" he asked the demon.

The demon laughed. "You carry a sword at your hip and you ask that of me? It is destiny for the strong to meet in battle. You have honed your strength by slaying countless enemies, and now I stand before you. "

The demon pointed its sword at Adam. "I challenge you to a duel. I hunger for battle, and the audience cries for blood. I cannot betray their expectations."

Adam's face broke out into a smile. He couldn't help it. He drew his sword and got into a fighting stance.

"Very well. I accept your challenge. Let us have a true fight to the death."

The audience erupted with applause that shook the arena.

The demon unleashed its power. A massive pillar of dark green energy surrounded it. "I swear upon my Capote, I will again seize victory."


	12. Bathroom

Jaune had made several questionable decisions in his life. Trying some of his father's liquor, stealing a bite of his eldest sister's favorite chocolate, forging his transcripts and lying his way into the most prestigious hunter academy on Remnant were just a few of the less than ideal choices he had made. But now he was grappling with the consequences of another choice.

It started during his mission when he asked Yatsuhashi what he did to get the kind of body he had. Jaune was a big guy for sure, but Yatsu was like a wall of pure muscle.

Yatsu simply gave Jaune the same instruction he was given: starting strength and a gallon of milk a day. When Jaune heard the instructions he didn't realize that he needed to pace himself and not drink an entire gallon of milk at once. Now he was engaged in a new battle: to make it to the bathroom before he wet himself.

He had just left the school's gym and was sprinting towards the nearest restroom when he was stopped by his teammates.

Nora waved at him. "Hey Jaune. Where have you been?"

Jaune tried to his his discomfort. He could feel the pressure building up. "I just left the gym. What are you guys doing?"

Nora pumped her fists. "We were just thinking of what we should do now that Team JNPR is reunited."

Jaune made a move to leave. "That sounds great. Let me know how that goes."

Pyrrha grabbed his arm. "Jaune, you're our leader, you should be a part of this too."

Jaune was beginning to panic. He wrenched himself free of Pyrrha's grip. "I really need to go. I'll catch up with you guys later."

He ran down the hall, directly into Professor Ozpin.

The headmaster adjusted his glasses. "Ah, Mister Arc. I was looking for you, luckily you have your team with you."

Jaune wanted to scream. "What did you need, professor?"

"I would like you to keep this matter close. It seems that a demon has managed to infiltrate the school and establish a Domain in the campus. I would like you and your team to eliminate it."

"We'd be happy to," Pyrrha said.

"How did a demon manage to get into the school?" Ren asked.

Ozpin sighed. "That is what we are trying to find out. I have several theories, but needless speculation would be a waste of time. For now I would be glad to remove the demon already here."

Jaune sprinted down the hallway. He was running out of time. "Gotcha. We'll take care of it, professor!" he shouted as he was running.

He ran to the nearest restroom and nearly tripped. He looked up and saw the blue men's room sign, but when he opened the door he saw the familiar writhing tentacles of a Domain instead of the familiar bathroom.

He could feel the dam about to burst. In a panic he looked around the hallway for anything he could use. His eyes settled on a nearby potted plant. Jaune let out a heavy sigh. Like his father always said, desperate times called for desperate measures.

While he was relieving himself his team had caught up with him.

Ren observed the domain. "It seems it's just in this single room. I wonder why."

Pyrrha nodded in agreement. "You're right. Demons usually take over entire building. Maybe there's something about Beacon."

Nora raised her fist in the air. "We can worry about that later. Let's get this mission started!" She turned toward her leader and grimaced. "Jaune, that's gross."

"Look away, Nora!" Jaune shouted. Once he had emptied his bladder he walked into the domain, his teammates keeping a fair distance from him.

"Make sure you wash your hands later," Ren said.

The four traveled deep into the domain. As they walked they realized that they hadn't encountered a demon after several minutes. That put everyone on edge. There were only two reasons why that would be happening: either the demon at the heart of the dungeon was strong enough to not need allies, or the demons were waiting to ambush them. Neither option appealed to the hunters.

Ren took a step forward and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"Guys, stop," he called out.

The others stopped and looked at him.

"What's up Ren?" Jaune asked.

Ren listened. He strained his ears and heard something cut through the air. In an instant his fist flashed out and collided with something. Whatever he had hit was knocked out of the air and sent skidding along the ground.

"Not bad. I was trying to take your head off."

The demon spoke with a woman's voice. It looked like a human, but its hands and legs were that of a cat's. There was a black mark over its mouth, and blood was dripping from its claws.

A red line appeared on Ren's cheek. He wiped the blood off with his hand.

"What do you want?" he asked the demon.

The demon's lips curled into a cruel smile. "isn't it obvious? I just want to have some fun."

The demon slashed with its claws. Ren dropped to the floor, right before several large claw marks appeared in the wall behind him. He drew his guns and fired at the demon. The feline monster swiftly avoided the bullets and leaped at Ren. This time Ren countered with a swift kick to its head. As the demon rose into the air Nora fired a grenade directly at it. As the cloud of pink smoke cleared the demon didn't appear any worse for wear, aside from the blood flowing from the open wounds on its arms.

The demon purred with delight. "Not bad. You guys are fun."

It crouched down, the muscles in its legs expanding to several times their size. It charged at the hunters too fast for any of them to see.

Jaune raised his shield right before the demon dove into him. He was sent flying into a wall, partially buried in the writhing tentacles. The appendages on the wall shot out and wrapped around him. He thrashed against them to keep from being pulled in.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted.

She hacked at the tendrils enveloping her leader. They were hard like stone. She put more strength into her strikes and managed to free Jaune.

The demon attacked again. It flew like a cannonball and flew towards Ren.

He slowly exhaled and drew back his fist. As soon as the demon got in range punched the demon hard in the head, sending it into the ground. He didn't react at all even as the bones in his right hand shattered. With his left he drew his pistol and emptied the magazine into the demon's head. The demon died and dissolved into darkness.

"You okay?" Jaune asked.

"I'll live," Ren replied. He drew his scroll and summoned his demon.

A tanned woman appeared wearing a green outfit with gold accents. She held a long stringed instrument in her hands. She slowly rose into the air and flew towards Ren.

"What is it you desire of me, master?" the demon asked.

Ren showed the demon his broken hand. "I need you to fix this, Sarasvati."

"As you wish, master."

She strummed her instrument and Ren's hand was engulfed an a warm light. He felt the bones in his hand mend themselves. After a few hesitant movements he smiled.

"Thank you."

Sarasvati smiled back at Ren. "Anything for you, master." She reached into her shirt and pulled out a small gem. "Take this Life Stone. I kept it warm with my breasts."

She kissed Ren on the cheek and returned in his scroll.

Jaune grinned at Ren. "You sure know how to pick 'em huh?" He ignored the glare Nora was giving him.

Pyrrha coughed into her hand. "Anyway, let's keep going."

As they walked Nora punched Ren on the shoulder.

"Wipe that grin off your face."

After a continued journey a question popped into Nora's head. She looked at the walls and floor and voiced a question that had been on her mind for weeks.

"What are these things anyway?"

Jaune shrugged. "Who knows. They tried to eat me, that's all I know."

Pyrrha racked her brain. "I got a good look at the inside of one of those things. It looked like some kind of plant."

"Some kind of demon plant?" Jaune pondered.

"Who knows," Ren said.

They traveled deeper into the Domain. As they reached the bottom they could see the large double doors that marked the demon's lair. As they stepped in front of it an alarm rang from each of their scrolls.

 _Warning: a strong demon has been detected_

Each of the hunters paused.

"That's never happened before," Nora said, sounding nervous.

Jaune sighed and pushed the doors opened. He looked at the demon at the center of the room and immediately turned around to leave. Pyrrha grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.

The first thing they noticed about the demon was that it was sitting on a giant toilet. That a demon had use for an ordinary looking human toilet struck them as the strangest thing they had seen since the demon invasion began. Compared to that the demon's light purple skin and curled horns were positively mundane.

The next thing they noticed was that it was absolutely massive, larger than anything they had ever seen.

It looked down upon them with its glowing red eyes and each of the hunters felt like they were being crushed to death.

"Greetings, children of Man. I am Belphegor, Duke of Hell. If you have not come to worship me, then you must be my sacrifices."

The demon pointed at them and a massive jet of fire shot out from one of its fingers. They broke off and ran in different directions. Jaune and Ren each summoned their demons. Jaune's demon was one they had never seen before. It was a woman who wielded wooden fans as her weapons and wore one as a mask.

"Uzume, put out this fire," Jaune commanded.

Uzume waved her fans and powerful gusts of wind extinguished the flames.

Jaune selected the _Sukukaja_ command and Uzume waved her hands again, enveloping each of the hunters in a green light.

Nora bounced on her feet. She suddenly felt much lighter than before. She jumped up at the demon and tried to attack. The demon blocked her with a finger and slapped her back into the ground. Once Nora hit the ground she resumed her attack. She unleashed a barrage of grenades and bombarded the demon with explosives.

Belphegor was unharmed.

Pyrrha extended her spear and threw it with all her might. It struck the demon in the head, but bounced off harmlessly. Pyrrha quickly retrieved her spear with her semblance and shot at the demon's feet. The bullets were even less effective than her spear.

He had a disappointed look on his face.

"How dull. I hoped the humans of this world would be worth challenging."

He snapped a finger and an explosion rocked the battlefield. Pyrrha held her ground, but Ren and Nora were blown off of their feet and into a wall.

Jaune coughed and covered his mouth to keep from breathing in the smoke. "You guys all right?"

"We're fine," Nora shouted. She was bruised and bleeding, but not dead.

Jaune ran to rejoin his teammates. As he was running his eyes never left the demon on the toilet. It looked down on them with obvious disdain.

Something rubbed Jaune the wrong way. He didn't understand why, but he got the feeling that the demon was merely testing them.

"Any ideas?" Ren asked.

Jaune thought for a moment. He looked at the toilet the demon sat on. He could feel a strange energy coming from it.

"For starters, let's knock him off his throne."

Nora nodded. She pulled a Dust crystal from her pocked and jabbed it into her leg. Compared to Raiju's fangs this was like being tickled by a feather. She wasn't as strong as she was before, but it was enough. She tightened her grip on her hammer and sprinted. She found her target and jumped. She flew towards Belphegor's toilet and swung as hard as she could.

 _Please be empty please be empty please be empty_

The porcelain bowl shattered and the demon fell to the ground. He had a small grin on his face.

"Attacking my throne, the source of my power. Impressive." The demon stood up. "As a servant of the Lords of Chaos, I cannot allow myself to appear unsightly."

Belphegor raised a hand above his head. A ball of dark purple energy materialized in his hand. Each of the hunters was gripped by a mortal terror. That was a fatal attack. As soon as it was unleashed it would kill everyone in the room.

The demon looked down at them with a friendly grin. "I wonder if you can survive this."

Time seemed to slow down. Jaune looked through every memory he had to find a solution. He searched through every lesson he attended, every training session with his teammates, anything that could help him out of this predicament. In a flash he found an answer.

"Everyone get behind me!"

The others hurried behind him. Jaune sheathed his sword and held his shield with both hands. This was a long shot, but it was all he could think of. Either it would work or his entire team was going to die.

The demon threw the ball at Jaune. Right before impact he channeled as much of his aura as he could into his shield. A white barrier formed protecting him and his team from the blast. Jaune gritted his teeth. He wasn't prepared for how heavy the attack was. He could feel his feet sinking into the ground. He didn't let up for a second. He pumped even more aura into the barrier. He nearly fell, but felt his teammates' hands pushing him up. For what felt like an eternity they struggled against the attack. Small cracks appeared in the shield before it shattered like glass. Jaune fell to the ground exhausted. He could barely breathe, and his arms felt like lead. But they had survived.

The small area covered by Jaune's barrier was the only unscathed part of the room. The rest of the demon's lair had been gouged out. The four hunters stood at the edge of a steep cliff. they could see the vines that formed the Domain's floor struggling to grow back.

Pyrrha slumped over panting. "What now?"

Jaune was too tired to even speak, but he had thought of something. He hoped that Pyrrha would understand. He selected Uzume and selected the _Hama_ command from her list of skills. Uzume procured dozens of long strips of paper. Each one was covered in writing none of the students could read. The papers flew towards Pyrrha and wrapped around her spear. Her weapon began to shine with a bright white light. The weapon felt warm, almost comforting. Pyrrha understood immediately and went on the attack. She ran towards the demon's feet and slashed at an ankle. To her surprise the blade effortlessly passed through. The demon cried out in pain and fell to the ground. It raised a hand to crush her but Pyrrha sliced off a finger before the attack could connect. She ran up the demon's arm and jumped off its shoulder. She drew her arm back and threw her spear through the demon's head. Deep, dark red cracks appeared throughout the demon's body.

"I see, so this is how I meet my end. For mere sons of man, you are quite powerful."

Those were the demon's last words before it exploded.

A familiar tune played from the students' scrolls.

"Congratulations, the Tyrant Belphegor can now be summoned through fusion."

The room filled with light, and when it faded they were standing in the restroom. They suddenly found themselves in very cramped conditions. Four people were not meant to fit into a single stall. As they hurried to leave they met another student making their way down the hall. As they passed they noticed the bruised and battered members of Team JNPR exiting the restroom at the same time.

The student put their hands up and walked away. "I don't wanna know."

XxX

"Hmm, so they killed Belphegor."

"Yes my lord. He was slain by the hunters of Beacon."

The demon laughed. They had sent Belphegor to test the mettle of the hunters, but they never expected that they would defeat him. The demon almost wanted to face the humans personally.

Then again, Belphegor was merely a servant. How the hunters would fare against a Lord of Chaos was another matter entirely.

The Lord looked upon its servant. "I have a task for you. I want you to observe the humans. If there is one that interests you, tell me immediately."

"Yes my lord," the servant responded. "The second Sector will appear soon. The humans will be spurred into action."

"I am looking forward to it."

* * *

 **AN** : I think that's enough filler chapters. The next chapter will kick off the second arc. I hope you'll continue to read it.

You know how this line goes. Follow, fave, review, blah blah blah. I'm out


	13. Search

Ruby was sleeping in her dorm when she was awoken by another earthquake. The shaking threw her from her bed and sent her crashing into the floor. As she was wiping blood from her nose she heard a notification from her scroll informing her of a new Sector.

"Perfect way to start the day," Ruby complained.

She looked at her scroll and saw that the Sector was located near Atlas. That wasn't the kind of journey they would take lightly. It would require some preparation.

The rest of her team was already awake and making their own plans.

"If it's near Atlas then that means it's Ironwood's territory. Maybe we should just let him and his soldiers handle it," Yang said.

Weiss looked at the blonde fighter like it was the first time she had actually seen her. "I never thought I'd see you against

charging headfirst into another battle."

"Ha ha. Truth be told, that fight with Ares took a lot out of me. I'm in no hurry to do that again, let me tell you."

Blake examined her sword and noticed the nicks in the blade. "You're right. Ironwood has likely already taken control of the situation. Let's just let him take care of it."

Ruby raised her hand. "So if we're agreeing to sit this one out, what are we going to do for the rest of the day."

Blake climbed back into her bunk. "I'm going back to sleep."

Yang grabbed Blake by her leg and yanked her out of her bunk. Blake landed on all fours hissing and glaring at Yang.

Yang laughed at her partner's frustration. "Don't look at me like that. Let's have some fun."

Blake stood up and shook her head. "Do I need to remind you what happened the last time we tried to have fun?"

Yang shrugged. "What are the chances of that happening a second time?"

"That's not the point, Yang."

Ruby loudly cleared her throat. "Argue later. I want to talk to a few people."

Ruby left the room with her teammates following behind her.

Once they made it to the school proper it wasn't long until they found who they were looking for. Glynda was standing in the hallway arguing with another student. His voice carried through the building. Each of them recognized Cardin's voice.

"What do you mean I can't go?" he asked, clearly enraged.

Glynda sighed. "It's been two weeks since I had to drag you from a demon stronghold and you want to walk right back into another one? Absolutely not. Although I know some at this school would be pleased at the idea I cannot allow you to throw your life away. You are to stay at the school, do you understand?"

"you chuck me into the middle of a forest and tell me to fight my way out, but you want me safe and sound now? That makes no sense."

Glynda groaned. "This is different. We've already lost too many students to the demons. We need as many capable fighters as possible."

Cardin's glare somehow got even harsher. "So what, you're saying I'm not capable?"

Glynda easily matched his intensity. "I have no doubts regarding your abilities; it's your common sense that I find myself questioning. You've been fighting in the city nonstop since you returned. You're not even giving yourself a chance to heal properly."

Cardin rolled his eyes. "I can take a hit or two, who gives a shit?"

"I do, even if you don't. let me be clear: you are not to leave the campus without my approval, do you understand?"

Cardin ground his teeth together. "Got it." he angrily stomped away. The tiles cracked under his feet. He glared at Team RWBY as he passed them. "The hell're you looking at?"

The girls ignored him and walked up to Glynda.

"Hi, Ms Goodwitch," Ruby said.

Glynda smiled at the approaching students. "Hello girls. I assume you're here about the Sector."

"Yeah. What do we know about it?" Weiss asked.

Glynda looked at her scroll. "From what I can gather General Ironwood has already dispatched a team to investigate. All we can do now is wait and see what they find."

Yang shrugged. "We already know what they're gonna find, more demons. Maybe they'll find something that'll help us end this whole invasion."

Loud, heavy footsteps echoed through the hall. Blake could hear the faint whirring of machinery.

"That's my hope as well. If the investigation is successful we may be able to defeat the demons once and for all."

Everyone in the hallway turned towards the sound of Ironwood's voice. Even sporting a friendly smile he was still imposing.

Glynda suddenly stiffened. "James! What are you doing here?"

"I boarded a flight last night. Ozpin asked for some assistance and I was more than happy to assist him."

Ironwood pressed a button on his scroll and a projection of a map appeared.

"Based on Professor Oobleck's research I was able to determine where the Sector would appear. I placed a tactical team in the area prior to its appearance. As soon as the Sector materialized I gave them the go ahead to infiltrate."

Weiss leaned forward. "Is my sis- er, is Captain Schnee part of the team?" she asked.

"No, I have her handling a separate matter, though I will tell her that you asked about her."

Weiss lowered her head and sighed. "I see."

Blake placed a hand on her chin. "It's been a few hours now hasn't it? How far in are they?"

Ironwood sighed. "That is what I came to see you about. After four hours I lost contact with the infiltration team. I came to ask for a few trainees to assist with the investigation."

Weiss stepped forward. "We'll be happy to volunteer."

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "Are you certain? Atlas is a long ways away."

"Actually," Ironwood interjected, "I had some of the men I stationed in Vale do a small investigation of their own. They made an astonishing discovery. The Sectors appear to be connected. Simply travel to the Sector you already cleared and you should find a way to the new one."

"So an eight hour flight becomes a two hour flight instead," Yang said. "Cool"

Ruby saluted the general. "We'll head out as soon as we're ready, sir."

XxX

After taking a moment to prepare and a short flight to what used to be Lakewood Village Team RWBY were back walking through the snowy battlefield. The stench of smoke and gunpowder was thick in the air. The distant sounds of gunfire popped in the distance.

"Nice to see that nothing's changed," Yang remarked.

Despite her comment, Yang didn't mind the scenery. Somehow, the burning buildings, the scattered bodies, and the distant sounds of gunfire made her feel at peace.

After walking a fair distance they arrived at the field that they had killed Ares in. Nothing about it had changed, save for an ordinary wooden door near the back of the room. Ruby walked up and opened it. On the other side was nothing but darkness. Ruby stuck a hand in and didn't feel anything strange. Sensing no signs of danger she walked right in.

The four girls walked through darkness for miles. There was no sound, not even footsteps. There were no signs of life at all. They walked straight ahead, fearing that turning would lead to them getting lost.

They walked until they couldn't go any further. Ruby groped around in the darkness and felt something hard. She felt another doorknob and turned it. She opened the door and shut her eyes against the blinding light that came through. They stepped through the door and set foot in the second Sector.

Yang looked around. "Gotta admit, I didn't see this coming."

It was a lobby. The wooden door they walked through was replaced by a pair of sliding glass doors. The four girls stood in front of a large desk with a blue skinned woman sitting behind it.

There were chairs all over the room with various creatures sitting in them.

The woman behind the desk smiled at the four girls.

"Welcome, do you have an appointment?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, we don't."

The woman frowned. "That's a shame. If you take a seat someone will be with you shortly."

"If it's all the same to you we're just gonna walk in."

"I won't stop you, but I must warn you that doing so may prove hazardous to your health."

Ruby ignored the warning and kept moving.

As they walked they passed various rooms with names and numbers on them. A look inside the rooms revealed that they contained beds and various pieces of medical equipment.

"This is a hospital," Blake observed.

"I think I've been here before," Weiss said. She looked around and felt the scenery was incredibly familiar. She recalled walking these halls as a young girl. Although in those days she was alone. An entire wing of the hospital was emptied out whenever a Schnee came for a visit. The last thing her father wanted was anyone with ill intent towards his family having a prime opportunity.

"First the battlefield, then this place. The demons really are trying to learn from us," Ruby said.

"What could a place like this teach anyone?" Yang asked.

No one was able to answer her question.

"Let's not forget why we're here," Ruby said. "We need to find the missing soldiers, and kill whatever's at the center of the Sector."

"What do you think happened to them?" Weiss asked.

"Who knows," Blake replied. "Anything could happen in a place like this."

Ruby could feel eyes on her. "Be careful, you guys. There are enemies nearby, and there's always the possibility of traps."

All of them were focused on their goal, so it took several seconds for the events that transpired next to register.

Weiss took a step forward. As soon as her foot touched the ground, a hole opened up in the floor. She looked down and saw only blackness instead of white tiles. Her eyes widened and she disappeared into the darkness, her screams echoing in the bottomless pit.

The other girls turned around and saw that Weiss was gone. They looked at the hole in the floor quickly closing up. By the time they got to where she had been the floor was completely back to normal.

Ruby's face went ghostly white. "Weiss!" she shouted. She unfurled her weapon and struck at the floor, but it didn't so much as crack.

Yang's eyes turned blood red. She punched at the floor with all her might, but all she had to show for it was a pair of bloodied hands. Weiss was gone, and there was nothing they could do for her.

Ruby swallowed the anxiety building up. "Come on, if she fell then that means there's a floor below this one. Let's go find Weiss."

The three girls sprinted through the hall, desperate to find their teammate before something found her.

 _Mission: Soldier Recovery has been accepted_

XxX

Weiss woke up on a hard stone floor. Her aura had protected her from any severe injuries, though she was quite sore. She looked around and saw that she was in a room with around twenty other men. They were dressed like soldiers. She realized immediately that these were Ironwood's missing men.

She stood up and brushed herself off. She reached to her side and felt the familiar feeling of her sword handle. She looked around the room and didn't see anything that looked like an exit, except a thick looking door made of rusted metal. She began to walk towards it when one of the men spoke up.

"Don't bother, it's locked. They'll come when they're ready for us."

"Who?" Weiss asked.

The door opened with a groan and a pair of demons walked in. They grabbed one of the soldiers and took him into the other room. In seconds the room was filled with the sounds of screaming. Weiss was in no hurry to find out what was on the other side of that door.

After several minutes the screaming stopped, and the door opened again. The same pair of demons walked back in, both of them now covered in blood. They walked up to Weiss and grabbed her by her arms and legs and carried her out of the room.

They walked through the door and threw her to the ground. Weiss shook the stars out of her eyes and looked at her surroundings. She instantly wished she hadn't.

There were bodies everywhere. Some were strapped to a table with various sharp instruments sticking out of them, others were hanging from hooks with long wounds on their bodies. There was a small group of men in the room all huddled together. A few of them were shaking badly, but one was just staring straight ahead. His eyes were wide open, but he wasn't looking at anything.

A demon materialized in front of them. Weiss could feel the malevolent energy radiating from it. It looked down on the humans with a wicked smile.

"Let us begin the next round of experiments."


	14. Angels

The demons grabbed the nearest soldier and tore the armor from his body. He was dragged kicking and screaming to a nearby table splotched with dried blood. His arms and legs were tied down with metal straps and he was splayed out like a specimen about to be dissected. No matter how hard he thrashed about the restraints didn't move at all.

"Begin the blood extraction," one demon said.

A demon approached with a sharp looking knife. It drew a line down the man's arm. Immediately blood began to flow onto the ground. The soldier's eyes went widened and he tried even harder to break free of his restraints. The demons watching were enraptured and hastily writing down notes. They looked at the color slowly draining from the man's body. After what felt like an eternity the man had died.

"Death in four minutes. Fascinating," the demon said.

It pulled the man off the bed and tossed him to the floor. The other demons swarmed and began to devour his body. Weiss wrenched her eyes shut, but she could still hear the breaking bones, the tearing flesh, and the gnashing teeth. The sounds rang in her head even after she clamped her hands over her ears. The soldier sitting next to her vomited onto the ground.

"Begin the stress testing," a demon said.

They grabbed another soldier and dragged them to the same table. A device lowered from the ceiling and settled around the soldiers head. It was two thick metal plates connected by a bar running between them. A demon turned a wheel in and the plates moved closer together until they were crushing the soldier's head. The soldier kicked and screamed but was completely helpless. Eventually the plates crushed his jaw and his screams were simply gurgled noises. After several minutes the soldier stopped moving.

"Fascinating, so this is the amount of pressure required to kill a human. They are quite fragile."

"Fragile, fragile," the other demons replied.

The demons all gathered in a circle and compared notes. They fed the stack of papers into a machine. The machine sputtered and shook and blew black smoke until a panel opened up revealing a glass of a noxious looking green liquid.

"With our new data we have created an even greater serum. Now, for a new test."

There was only Weiss and another soldier left in the room. The demon looked between the two.

"hmm, which would be a better specimen?" the demon asked itself.

Weiss tightened her grip on her sword. She decided that she'd rather go down fighting than be subjected to whatever the demons had in store for her. To her surprise, and a small pang of relief she would never admit that she felt, the demon decided to grab the soldier next to her. He tried to fight, but couldn't resist them. They tore off his helmet and pried his mouth open. They slowly poured the substance into his mouth and watched his reaction.

The soldier fell to the ground and began to convulse. A thick, red foam began to pour out of his mouth. Soon he stopped moving, then his bones began to crack, and his skin changed color to a dark green. He rose to his feet, his eyes glowing red.

"This Ghoul appears to be quite more powerful than normal. The serum has increased in effectiveness. Soon we will administer it to every human on Remnant."

The demon turned towards the transformed soldier. "Now then, kill that girl."

The Ghoul let out a piercing shriek. It charged at Weiss and swiped at her with its claws. Weiss jumped to her feet and blocked the attack with her sword. The demon's nails screeched against her blade. Weiss thrust her sword into the Ghoul's stomach. The demon was unfazed and struck Weiss across her face. She felt something crack high up in her cheek. She tightened her grip on her sword and attacked again. The demon seemed to be learning, it deftly avoided Weiss' attacks and countered by unleashing a flurry of slashes.

Weiss blocked as many as she could, but one attack pierced her defenses. The Ghoul's claws raked her shoulder, sending a burning pain throughout her body. The demon was relentless in its assault, and buried a fist in Weiss' midsection. Weiss fell over and emptied out her stomach. The demon grabbed Weiss by the arm and threw her into a wall. Weiss slammed into the metal and fell to the ground in a heap. She coughed and tried to stand up, but couldn't summon any strength. The demon slowly walked over to Weiss and lifted her up by her neck. Her feet kicked helplessly as she felt the fingers tighten around her throat. The edge of her vision was slowly going black. she pressed a button on her sword's handle and spun the cylinder. she quickly thrust her sword into the demon's chest and unleashed a fiery explosion. The demon's upper half was obliterated.

She fell to the ground and sucked in as much air as she could.

The demons gathered around her, peering down with unfeeling eyes. The began to excitedly talk among themselves.

"She is strong."

"Indeed, quite strong."

"She will make a powerful Ghoul."

"We must refine the serum."

They grabbed her and dragged her back into the other room. She looked around and saw that there were no other living people around. The remaining soldiers had decided to shoot themselves rather than let the demons have them.

"A minor setback," one demon said. "We will simply acquire more humans."

They dragged the bodies into the other room.

Weiss laid on the ground for several minutes, taking time to catch her breath. As soon as she was able she sprang to her feet and ran to a nearby wall. She attacked the wall with her sword but couldn't so much as scratch it. No matter how hard she attacked the wall was unharmed. Out of desperation she dropped her sword and beat on the wall with her fists. All she had to show for her efforts was a pair of bloodied hands and some broken fingers. She fell to her knees sobbing. There was no way out. She curled up into a ball and closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face.

 _I don't want to die here. Someone, please help me._

"It appears that you are in need of some assistance."

Weiss sat up and looked for the source of the voice. One of the dead soldiers stood up and removed his helmet. There was a bullet hole in his head, but he walked and talked like nothing was wrong.

Weiss jumped up and pointed her sword at the man.

The man put his hands up. "Be at ease, child. I am not your enemy."

The man was engulfed in a blinding white light, and something else stood where the he once was.

It was a large man with grey skin and large black wings. He wore a white robe and a small mask over his face.

Weiss felt at ease seeing the creature before her. It wasn't like the demons. She could feel the kindness emanating from him.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I am called Mastema. I am an angel in the Kingdom of Light. I was brought to this land to drive out the evil that has plagued it." He looked closely at Weiss and grabbed her hands. "I see. You have fought valiantly against the evil."

He enclosed his hands around hers and bathed them in a warm light. Weiss felt her hands heal.

Weiss marveled at the angel's abilities.

"Thank you, but how are we going to get out of here?"

Mastema floated to a wall. He slowly ran his hand along the wall before stopping at a certain point.

"This will suffice." He drew back his hand and clenched it into a fist. "In the Lord's name I drive out evil!"

He struck at the wall again and again. Small cracks began to appear in the wall. His hands were covered in his blood, but that didn't deter him. Eventually he smashed the wall into pieces.

"There, let us be going."

They exited the room and went into a nearby hallway. There was a set of stairs near the end of the hall.

"I believe that will allow you to rejoin your friends," Mastema said.

Weiss sighed with relief. "I can't thank you enough for helping me."

"It was no matter. I exist to serve God and His people. Before I leave, allow me this final act of assistance."

Mastema reached into a hole in the air and pulled out a young woman. She had long blonde hair and wore a black mask that covered her eyes. Her body was adorned with matching black straps around her chest and stomach. Unlike Mastema, her wings were white.

Mastema pointed at the woman. "I will leave you with one of my servants. I hope she will provide you with some comfort.

The angel dissolved into light and flowed into Weiss' scroll.

 _A new demon has been acquired._

 _Angel_

 _Divine Race_

 _Ninth of the nine orders of angels. They are closest in nature to humans. They watch over individuals and warn those who stray from the path_ _._

Weiss looked at her scroll. According to the Compendium this was another demon, but that couldn't be true. This looked almost human, not like one of those malevolent creatures that she had fought before. When she looked up from her scroll Mastema was already gone. She sighed and walked up the stairs to try and rejoin her teammates.

XxX

Ruby, Yang, and Blake ran down the stark hospital hall trying to find a way downstairs. Despite their running all they found were more demons to fight. They were slowly losing their patience, Ruby especially. She was worried sick about her partner, alone in hostile territory.

"I see something," Yang said, looking ahead. There was a set of stairs that went down. The three girls quickened their pace and went to the floor below.

When they reached the floor they noticed that they weren't in a hospital anymore. They were in a dingy looking corridor with stone floors and walls. Glowing glass tubes with objects floating inside them were scattered all over.

"Is this some kind of lab?" Blake asked.

Yang took a closer look at one of the tubes. She couldn't tell exactly what was inside, but it looked like flesh.

"I wonder what they're working on in here?" she asked.

Ruby walked forward and tried to find any signs of life. She pressed an ear against a wall and could hear the hum of machinery, but didn't hear any sounds of living things.

"There's nothing here," she said. She walked down the hall and kept searching.

They kept walking through the dark hallway and found a small room with an open door. It had a desk and a computer inside. A name plate on the door indicated that it was the director's office.

Ruby walked inside and turned on the computer. There was a series of files on the computer. They were a list of experiments the demons had conducted. Ruby read the documents and felt a knot in her stomach.

 _We cut a human on the neck and a red liquid poured out. From our testing, we have determined that humans need a substance called "blood" to survive. How fascinating._

 _We placed a human inside a box. After several minutes their skin changed colors and they stopped moving. From our testing, we have determined that humans need "oxygen" in order to survive. Interesting._

 _We pressed down upon a human's head and a grey matter came out. From our research, we have determined that humans need a "brain" in order to live._

There were dozens of notes like that. Details of all of the experiments that the demons had conducted. Ruby fought the urge to vomit and turned off the computer. She abandoned any thoughts of finding the soldiers. For now, all she could do was find Weiss.

They found an area marked with warning symbols. There were bodies scattered across the floor. They wore the uniforms of the Atlas military.

Blake looked around at the corpses. Something felt off to her, but she didn't know what.

"I think we're heading in the right direction," Yang said. She casually walked past the bodies, her teammates hurrying to join her.

"What do you think their master's like?" Ruby asked.

Yang shrugged. "Who cares? We're here to kill whoever it is."

Blake scanned the room and finally realized what had been bothering her.

There was no blood. They were in the middle of a demon stronghold surrounded by bodies, but there wasn't so much as a single drop of blood in the entire room. That meant that whatever killed these people did so without leaving a mark.

Blake stopped moving. "Guys, I think we should turn around," she shouted.

Yang turned around. "Why?"

Blake shook her head. "I don't know, this room gives me a bad feeling."

Ruby looked at the map on her scroll. "There's another area of Sector past this room. We have to go this way."

Yang grinned at Blake. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Yang and Ruby took another step forward when yang's foot caused the tile she was standing on to sink into the floor. There was a loud click. Yang's eyes widened. She grabbed Ruby by the collar and flung her with all her might right before a black cloud engulfed her. Yang fell to her knees and vomited. Her body felt as though it were on fire. her vision grew blurry. She found it hard to breathe.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted. She started towards her sister, but Yang put a hand up to stop her.

"it's probably some kind of poison," Blake said as she looked around at the scattered corpses. "That must be how the soldiers died."

Yang felt her throat tighten. Her insides felt like lead. Even her hearing had faded. Despite all of that, she refused to just lay down and die. She dragged herself to her feet and kept walking forward. Every step she took was agony. It was more pain than she had ever experienced before. As she walked her vision slowly darkened. Eventually she made it to the far side of the room. Finding a door she tried to turn the knob, but it was locked. Yang summoned all of the strength she had left and wreathed her right fist in a bright orange fire. She punched through the door and broke it into pieces. With no strength left in her she fell to the ground and closed her eyes. She suddenly felt incredibly cold and numb. As far as dying went, she could certainly think of worse ways to go.

"Yang? Yang!"

Yang heard a voice. She didn't even have the energy to open her eyes.

"Help her, please," the voice pleaded.

"As you wish," a different voice responded.

Yang felt a gentle warmth wash over her body. In an instant she felt better. Her muscles no longer felt like lead, and she could breathe again. She sucked in air and coughed into her hand.

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Weiss said.

The two of them went to rejoin Ruby and Blake.

Ruby gasped when she saw her partner, covered in blood and grime, a deep gash in her shoulder, and a demon at her side.

"What happened to you?" Ruby asked.

"I'll tell you later, but we need to retreat for now," Weiss replied.

Blake grimaced. "She's right. Our two best fighters are in no condition to keep going."

Ruby nodded in agreement. "Alright. We retreat for now. We'll continue the investigation tomorrow."

XxX

Once they were back at Beacon Weiss' friends were enthralled with her new acquisition. They couldn't keep from admiring its beauty and elegance.

"Her hair is wonderful," Pyrrha gushed as she ran her fingers through the angel's hair.

"Her skin is so smooth," admired Nora as she examined the angel's body.

"These are so soft," said Jaune as he buried his face in the angel's wings."

"I am a servant of the Lord," said Angel, clearly uncomfortable.

Weiss recalled her companion to prevent any more harassment.

"Aw," Jaune complained.

"So what are you going to do?" Pyrrha asked.

"We have to go back," Ruby replied. "There's an artifact in the Sector. I don't know what they do, but I know we can't let them fall into the wrong hands."

"What about you, Weiss? Are you going to go back in?" Jaune asked.

Weiss grinned. "I'm fine. I've seen worse. Besides, Ruby's right. We have to destroy the demon in charge of the Sector."

Jaune seemed to cheer up after hearing that. "Okay. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Weiss got up and went towards the bathroom. "If it's all the same to you guys, I'm going to turn in for the night. Fighting for your life takes a lot out of you."

Weiss walked into the bathroom and locked to door behind her. She slowly peeled her filthy clothes off of her body. She looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes drawn to the various injuries she had acquired recently. There was the dark bruise around her neck, the scars where her broken fingers had pierced her skin, and the deep, wide cut in her shoulder. Compared to those the scar over her eye was nothing.

She turned on the water and let it run, but instead of walking into the shower she knelt in front of the toilet and vomited. It was as though she was expelling everything she had ever eaten. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, her nails digging into her skin hard enough to draw blood. Choked sobs escaped her lips, drowned out by the sounds of the running water.


	15. Beauty

While Team RWBY was investigating the second Sector, Jaune and his team took the time to continue their training. Few people knew of their encounter with Belphegor. Jaune had decided against telling anyone other than Ozpin and Glynda. If people discovered that a demon that powerful had managed to make it into the school it would have caused a panic.

Jaune thought of that as he hung upside down from the ceiling. His ankles had leather straps around them he was carrying a heavy weight in his arms. He took a deep breath and bent his body upward.

"95, 96, man this is tiring, 98, 99, 100. That's enough for now."

He dropped the weight and let it crash to the floor. He was breathing heavily and his body was covered in sweat.

Ren looked up at his leader with a slight hint of awe. That was Jaune's fifth set. Ren wished he had a fraction of Jaune's stamina.

"You know, sometimes you scare me," he said.

Jaune smiled as he dangled from the ceiling. "That's nice, but I need to get down now. I feel dizzy."

Pyrrha used her semblance to undo the latches holding the ankle straps in place and Jaune fell to the floor.

"Ouch!" Jaune shouted.

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha said, wincing.

Jaune got up off the floor. He looked around and saw other students hard at work strengthening their bodies. Some of them had a fiery determination about them, but others had what looked more like grim resignation. He couldn't help but notice the groups that used to be four that had been reduced to three or two, and the students that were the sole survivors of their teams.

A shout and a heavy thud carried through the room. Jaune looked and saw Cardin panting over a fallen heavy bag.

Jaune sighed. "Ever thought about taking it easy?"

Cardin glared at Jaune. "Shut up. Can't afford to take it easy. As soon as the leash is off me I'm out of here."

"You've been at this for hours. Take a break, dude. It'll be good for you."

Cardin trudged towards a rack with heavy weights. "Long time coming before I take your advice Jauney boy."

He sat on a bench and began to lift a dumbbell.

Nora got up from the bench press rack she was laying on. "Jaune's right, if you push yourself too hard you could burn yourself out."

Cardin scoffed. "What do you care?"

Nora's jaw tightened. "I don't, but Jaune does for some reason and that means something. Why are you so desperate to get stronger anyway?"

"Why'd you let that demon bite you? Because when there's something you want you'll do anything to get it."

Nora winced at hearing him mention that. She didn't realize so many people had heard about what happened that day.

She sighed. "I did that to save my team. What do you want so badly?"

Cardin dropped the dumbbell. He looked down at his hands and the others saw a look on his face they had never seen before.

"I just wanna keep being me," he said.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

Cardin shrugged. "Jaune told you about where he comes from, right? A line of heroes goin' all the way back to the Great War. Even his father was a warrior. My old man is a blacksmith, and his old man was a drunk. My great grandfather died broke in the gutter. That's why I became a hunter. It didn't matter who I came from. If I could fight then I could build my own legacy." He held up his fist. "If I can't fight, then I've got nothing. I am nothing."

Pyrrha raised her hand slightly, then lowered it. "Cardin, you don't have to push yourself so hard. You exist, right here, right now. That's something no one can take from you."

Cardin rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I don't need you people worrying about me."

Jaune's scroll rang. He looked and saw he had a new message. "Hey, Ruby's back."

XxX

The next morning after recuperating Team RWBY prepared to leave for the sector again. As they were leaving they were stopped by the general.

Ironwood smiled at the four girls. "you all look well rested. Are you going to return to the Sector?"

Ruby nodded at the general. "yes sir. We still need to defeat the demon at the center of it."

"Indeed. I must ask, do you know what happened to the soldiers I deployed?"

The girls winced. They had no idea how they were going to tell him what had happened. The atrocities they had witnessed were beyond words.

Weiss stepped forward and saluted the general. "Sir, I'm afraid that we have found your men. They were all deceased when we found them."

Ironwood sighed. It was a heavy, weary sigh. "I see. Good luck with your excursion. I have some notifications to make."

The general walked away, his heavy footsteps echoing through the hallway.

"I cant imagine what he's feeling right now," Yang said.

Ruby thought about the general. He had his own burdens to bear. The soldiers were ready to fight and die on his word alone. They placed their faith in him completely.

"That's what it means to be a leader," she said. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you guys."

Yang wrapped her arms around her sister. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

Ruby struggled in vain to break free from Yang's grip. "I know. Come on, let's get back to business."

"Do we have a plan?" Blake asked.

"We walk in and kill everything standing between us and the boss," Weiss said.

XxX

It didn't take long before they were back in the Sector. This time they took special care to avoid any pitfalls or traps. They noticed that there were less demons roaming than before. There were gouges in the floor and walls, and the various rooms looked like they had been looted.

"Someone else has been here," Ruby said.

"Who?" Weiss asked.

"Maybe another student," Blake said.

Yang groaned. "I swear if it's Sun again I'm just leaving him here."

They continued down the series of hallways, and soon found themselves in the room they stopped at the last time.

Blake walked in front and drew her sword. She walked forward until she triggered a trap. As she was surrounded by the poisonous black cloud she knelt down and carved a mark into the floor. Then she stood up, fell over, and died. Blake repeated this process ten times, using her clones to take the poison and marking the areas where there were traps.

The other girls walked towards Blake, taking care to avoid the areas she had marked.

Yang whistled. "You know, Blake, sometimes you scare me."

Blake grinned. "Coming from you that's quite the compliment."

They walked past the destroyed door and up a spiral staircase. When they reached the next floor they did a double take.

Ruby scratched her head. "You know, no matter how many times this happens I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

They were suddenly standing in what looked like an art gallery. There were paintings on the walls, and classical music was playing from speakers hanging from the ceiling.

"Wonder who made this?" Blake asked.

Yang shrugged. "Ares was a warmonger, so maybe this demon is an artist? Who knows."

Weiss looked at one of the paintings. It was of a woman sitting cross legged holding her severed head in her hands. Her stomach had been slit open and her entrails were spilling out onto the ground.

"This is certainly a demon's gallery."

However, she remembered that there were no shortage of human artists who would make art like the back of her mind she recalled the times her father would take her to similar places. She developed a fondness for art, poring over the paintings and sculptures while her father conducted business and her mother drank in the corner.

"Weiss!" Ruby shouted. "Come on!"

Weiss hurried to rejoin her teammates.

In the next room there were a series of raised platforms with sculptures placed on them. There were demons all around looking at the pieces of art.

One walked up to Ruby and her team. "Welcome to the exhibit. Are you interested in the artwork?"

Ruby eyed the demon. "In a way."

The demon smiled. "Wonderful. Lord Narcissus prepared these pieces personally. He always had an eye for aesthetic beauty. Come, look at this piece."

The demon grabbed Ruby by the arm and dragged her to one piece. It was a person tied to a post while crows pecked at their body. Their eyes were already gone, and the birds were tearing chunks of flesh out of them. Some parts of their body had been picked down to the bone. One crow buried its beak in the person's chest and pulled out a bright red piece of pulsating meat. What disturbed Ruby the most was that the person was still breathing. Despite everything they had suffered they were still alive.

The guide gestured towards the tree. "This is called 'Images of Agony'. I think it speaks to the true futility of human existence. There are more like this if you want me to show you."

Ruby slapped the demon's hand away. "No thank you. Can you tell me where to find Narcissus?"

"Oh that's no problem at all. I'll mark it for you on your map."

Ruby looked at the red exclamation point on her map. They didn't have much further to go.

"Come on, you guys. Let's get this over with."

The four girls went towards the staircase at the far end of the exhibit. The next floor was where the Sector's master waited.

As they walked down the hall leading to Narcissus' chamber Blake's ears began to twitch.

"Do you guys hear that?" she asked.

Weiss sighed. "No, you're the one with the sensitive ears. What are you hearing?"

"it sounds like someone's fighting up ahead."

As they approached the room they could hear the sounds of gunshots and explosions. They hurried down the hall and ended up standing before another pair of massive doors.

An alarm they had heard before played from their scrolls.

 _Warning: a strong demon has been detected._

Seeing no other way to go, they pushed the door open.

There were many things for them to take in upon entering the demon's chamber. First were the bodies lashed to steel slabs that were hanging from the ceiling. Looking at them they were more of Ironwood's soldiers. Judging from the color their skin had turned they had been dead for a long time.

The second thing they noticed was that the demon was busy fighting like they had thought. The demon was an older looking man with blond hair that had flowers growing out of it. His lower body was covered by grass, as if he was growing out of the ground. Like a plant, he stayed rooted to the spot as he fought his opponent.

The would-be assailant was a boy around their age with grey eyes and matching hair. He attacked with his legs, sending bullets and gusts of wind at Narcissus, but the demon effortlessly blocked all of them.

"Are you kidding me?" the boy said bitterly.

"Mercury?" Blake said. "What is he doing here?"

"He's probably here for the same reason we are," Ruby replied. She readied her weapon. "We have to help him."

She aimed her rifle at the demon's head. The bullet whizzed through the air at a blinding speed, but Narcissus caught it in his hand without looking in

Ruby's direction. The demon felt she was beneath his notice and gave all of his attention to Mercury.

Mercury rapidly kicked at the air and sent a barrage of bullets at the demon. The demon finally moved, dodging and weaving through the gunfire before extending a hand. The air around Mercury's left leg warped, and his leg was snapped in two. Mercury fell to the ground before the demon picked him up by his neck.

"Is this truly all you are capable of?" Narcissus said, clearly disappointed. "I suppose this is all I can expect from the humans of this era."

Mercury struggled to break free, but the demon's fingers were like iron. He started to laugh. "Sorry I couldn't meet your expectations."

Narcissus' only response was to snap Mercury's neck. Mercury went limp, and the demon tossed him to the side like common trash. It was then that he noticed the four girls that had arrived. Ignoring them, he went over to a mirror that was propped up against a wall and stared at his reflection.

"Truly, there is nothing in existence that can compare to my beauty," he said as he took in every detail of his appearance. His eyes slowly went over his flowing golden hair, his eyes that were blue like the ocean, his pristine flowers. Everything about him was perfect. He sighed when he noticed his view was spoiled by Team RWBY standing behind him. He closed his eyes to keep them from being tainted.

"Humans are such unsightly beings. Their bodies age and decay with time, their mouths speak naught but vulgarities, and their souls are blackened and decrepit. Turning such vile creatures into beautiful things has proven far more difficult than I anticipated, but I will not give up. I will make them into beings worthy of existing in the same world as me."

Weiss stabbed at the demon with her sword. He caught the blade in his fingers and tossed her aside. Yang and Blake attacked at the same time. Yang's burning fist shot towards the demon's head, while Blake's sword sped towards his waist. The demon easily parried both attacks, sending them to the ground.

Yang got right back up and kept fighting. She assaulted the demon with a barrage of punches, but all of them were knocked aside. Yang struck with an uppercut, but when the demon moved to deflect it her fist stopped short. Yang unleashed a powerful blow with her other hand and nailed the demon in the face. His head was obscured by a ball of flame. He reeled backwards clutching at his face. When the flames had cleared, it showed the blackened spots on his skin, and the wilted flowers on his head.

Narcissus ground his teeth together. "You dare?" The ground began to shake as a dark grey energy swirled around him. "I will wipe out every trace of your existence."

Yang wasn't fazed. "That's what they all say. But I guess that's enough playing around." She grabbed her scroll and summoned her demon. "Been meaning to show this guy off."

Yang's demon materialized in the field. the other girls couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"Ares?" Weiss asked.

Yang shrugged. "Why not? Might as well get some use out of him." She gestured towards her demon. "Kill him good for me, big guy."

Ares gripped his sword and lunged at Narcissus. Ares swung his sword with all his might. Narcissus jumped back to avoid the strike. Narcissus thrust his hand forward and unleashed a gust of wind. Ares planted his sword in the ground to keep from being blown away.

Ruby appeared from behind Ares and slashed at Narcissus' feet with her scythe. The demon jumped over her blade, only to be blasted in the chest by Yang's shotgun.

"Enough!" Narcissus roared. he slammed his hands into the ground and conjured a tornado that flung all of his opponents to the far corners of the room. He grabbed Ares by the arm and tore it from the socket. Narcissus raised his fist and prepared to crush the warrior's skull, but only struck the ground. He saw Ares' particles flowing into Yang's scroll. As long as a demon wasn't dead any lost limbs would regenerate if they were returned to the COMP and summoned again.

Weiss took a chance to call forth her Angel. She ordered her to use the _Media_ skill, and the girl's injuries were healed.

Weiss attacked the demon again and sent jets of fire from her sword. The demon retreated from her flame attacks. Weiss selected another cylinder on her scroll and suddenly the demon was caught in a dark purple dome that kept him from moving. It would only last a few seconds, but it was long enough for Blake to sever one of his arms. At that moment Yang reappeared and tackled Narcissus to the ground. With a grin she pounded him in the face again and again, until she was merely punching a red stain into the floor.

"Yang, I think that's enough," Ruby said.

The demon's body began to glow, and dark red cracks ran throughout.

"So this is my end. How exquisite," Narcissus said before violently exploding.

A tone sounded from the girls' scrolls.

"Congratulations, the Tree Narcissus can now be summoned through fusion."

A small gem appeared on the ground where Narcissus' body used to be, but when Ruby reached out to grab it it suddenly disappeared.

Ruby's eyes went wide. "What was that?"

Weiss looked around the room. "I think someone else was in here."

"Who?" Blake asked.

Ruby hung her head. "It doesn't matter who. If they have the artifact then they're just another enemy we'll have to defeat." She walked towards the door. "Come on, let's go home."

 _Mission: Soldier Recovery has been successfully completed_

XxX

The woman sat in darkness, observing the events occurring throughout Remnant. She saw the unrest in Vale, the total upheaval in Mistral, the iron-fisted order of Atlas, and she saw that Vacuo hadn't changed that much since the demons invaded. Through her observations she also saw that Mastema had begun to enact his plan. That wouldn't do at all. She had to put a stop to it as soon as possible, but she was in a bind. Direct action would attract the wrong kind of attention. She was powerful for certain, no weakling could become a Lord of Chaos, but the forces of Law had many fighters who could match her power.

She needed a proxy, someone who could fight on her behalf.

To that end, she stepped out of the darkness, and into what looked like an open field littered with tents, a few cages, and a makeshift cabin off near the back.

There were people milling about, but all of them stopped in their tracks when the woman appeared. Not only because she had just stepped through a hole in space, but because her unimaginable power leaked out even through her disguise. Fear kept them from moving.

Except for one person. An older looking woman wearing red eastern armor. She carried a large sword at her hip. Her hair was long and black, and her eyes a deep crimson. She regarded the woman with a look of contempt.

"Why are you here? Was I not clear before?"

The woman smiled at Raven. "I wanted to see you again. I had hoped that you would see reason, but you are a stubborn woman. How long do you intend to deny what you truly are?"

Raven turned to walk away. "I don't care about my blood. I have no intention of sacrificing my humanity. I will reach the summit with my own powers."

The woman sighed. "Without my assistance you will die long before reaching the summit."

"Then that is merely my fate."

A hole in the sky opened up, and a bright golden light shone down. Four winged figures slowly descended to the ground. At the front was a stern looking man with orange skin. He held a spear in his right fist. To his left was a young, blue skinned man wielding a sword. Near the back was a long haired man with purple skin and matching wings, and picking up the rear was a woman with greenish skin holding a sword in one hand and a flower in the other.

The one wielding a spear pointed it downwards.

"Raven Branwen, your tainted blood has no place in the Millennium Kingdom. In the name of God, we shall strike you down."

Raven didn't even blink at the angels, she merely unsheathed her sword.

The woman was taken aback. "You intend to fight all four of the Archangels at once with your human body? You must allow me to-"

Raven cut her off. "Enough. I do not wish to become a demon. Unless you mean to help me I have no need for you."

The woman opened up a portal. "Very well. I suppose this is goodbye."

The demon exited the battlefield, knowing that there was no chance of Raven surviving.

The woman shrugged. "Oh well, on to the next one."


	16. Dream

Emerald made her way back to the hideout. When she left she was with one of the only people on the planet she considered a friend, but now she was alone. Narcissus was far stronger than they anticipated. Mercury insisted on fighting him alone. If they both died then no one would be able to retrieve the artifact. Mercury was born with one foot in the grave; that he would die fighting was a foregone conclusion.

Even so, Emerald still felt a knot in her stomach. She didn't even really like him all that much, but it still hurt to see him go. And there was the thought in the back of her mind that Mercury took on the demon alone because he knew she wasn't strong enough. Was that what happened? Did he walk into the Sector knowing he wasn't going to leave?

Those thoughts weighed on Emerald's mind as she pried the rusty warehouse door open. She looked around and saw that no one else was there. She walked to the rear and saw Cinder with a scroll to her hear. The raven haired woman seemed particularly irate. She snarled and threw the scroll across the room.

"I still can't get into contact with him. I swear on everything if that worthless animal ruins my plan I will burn down everything he loves."

Emerald recoiled at her leader's anger. "Cinder, I'm back."

Cinder's lips stretched into a smile when she saw her servant. "Emerald, you've returned. Was your mission successful?"

Emerald nodded. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small green gem with writing engraved into it. Cinder took it and felt the power surging through the artifact.

"Well done, Emerald. But where is Mercury?"

Emerald looked down at the floor. "He didn't make it, I'm sorry."

Cinder sighed. "I see. That is unfortunate, but his sacrifice will not be in vain."

"Is that all you have to say?" Emerald asked.

Cinder's eyebrow raised. "What do you mean?"

"He's dead, Cinder! He gave his life for your plan and all you have to say is 'oh that's too bad'?"

Cinder slapped Emerald hard across the face. "Don't question me. Mercury knew the risks, same as you and I. He willingly gave his life because he believed in our cause. If you are having doubts about my methods then you can go back to living on the streets picking pockets to survive."

Emerald put a hand to the welt forming on her cheek. "Please forgive me, Cinder."

A man's laughter echoed through the warehouse.

"People say it's weird that I don't watch TV. Why would I do that when there's this prime drama unfolding right in front of me?"

Emerald fired a round at Roman. Roman deflected the bullet with his cane, the sadistic grin on his face didn't even flicker.

He removed his hat and placed it over his heart. "Let's have a moment of silence for ol' Aluminum Legs. Gone too soon, though not soon enough in my book."

Emerald took a step forward, but was stopped by the jet of fire that shot between her and Roman.

"Enough!" Cinder roared, her hair flowing in the wind she created. "Roman, if you have time for your little quips you have time to continue the preparations."

Roman rolled his eyes. "From what I hear there's not gonna be much of a point to them. Adam's a ghost, and your number two's six feet under. This plan of yours is going belly up."

Cinder's eyes glowed ominously. Roman put his hands up. "Take it easy. I was just about to head out."

Cinder exhaled. "Good. I am going to look for Adam personally. I hope that when I find him he has an adequate explanation." She turned towards Emerald. "If anything changes at Beacon, contact me immediately. Am I clear?"

Emerald nodded. Cinder turned and left the warehouse. Emerald had no intentions of spending the day with Roman, so she left as well.

Roman flopped down into a chair. "The cheese stands alone. Gotta admit, part of me is hoping she manages to pull it off. It's been a while since I've been able to have some real fun."

The air around him shimmered, and there was a sound like glass shattering. Standing right in front of him was a small woman with pink and brown hair.

Roman smiled. "Hey, Neo. Everything go well?"

Neo nodded. She held up four fingers, then slowly curled one inwards.

Roman whistled. "Really? She managed to take one out? Which one?"

Neo's hands flapped about her waist, like she was adjusting a skirt she wasn't actually wearing.

"She killed Gabriel? Raven really was a monster. Too bad about her though, if the angels are anything like I remember that whole compound is glass by now."

Neo shook her head. She frowned and pointed at Roman.

Roman laughed. "Don't worry, I'll keep up my end of the deal. You keep helping me like you have been and you'll see your friend again in no time."

Neo tilted her head to the side slightly.

"Of course those morons haven't figured it out yet. I just spun some yarn about a demon breaking me out of my cell and they ate it right up. That's for the best. I really don't want to have to reveal myself just yet."

The demon disguised as Roman Torchwick stood up and grabbed his cane.

"I still want to enjoy myself."

XxXxX

Yang woke up on the ground, dazed. She felt like someone had smashed her in the head with a brick. Looking around all she saw was endless stretches of sand beneath a red sky. Lights in the sky pierced her vision. She blinked, hoping she wasn't seeing double. But it was true, there were multiple, like the sun had been broken into pieces. There were no signs of life.

Until, she felt it. Its power was like a massive weight pressing down on her. It wasn't like anything she had ever felt. Simply looking at it took everything she had. It was a massive demon, one with six wings and blue skin. Its glowing red eyes shone with anticipation. Yang dragged herself to her feet and prepared to fight. The demon pointed a clawed finger at her. Yang felt the air ripple, and in the next moment she was dead, her body scattered across the ground.

With a start Yang woke up again in the same place as before. The demon was still there, waiting. She ran towards it, this time avoiding the attack that killed her before. The demon held out a hand and dropped a ball of energy onto the ground. Yang's body was vaporized in the blast. Again, Yang woke up and the battle began anew.

This process repeated for hours. Yang fought, died, and fought again. Each time the battle restarted Yang grew slightly stronger. She could see the attacks coming, and even managed to land a few of her own. Her strikes were powerful, but not enough to fell the demon. She needed something that could kill it in a single blow. After dying thirty more times she found an answer.

She could feel it deep in her body, the power slowly built up inside of her, flowing from her hands and feet and converging in her chest. She could feel the white hot energy inside of her mouth just waiting to be unleashed. The demon's eyes widened. It was waiting to see what Yang would do. Yang opened her mouth, but instead of a blast of energy a torrent of cold water spilled out of her mouth.

Yang woke up in the soaked ashes that used to be her bed. She jumped up and spat water out of her mouth. She looked to her side and saw Blake holding up an empty bucket.

Yang ran a hand over her face. "What happened?"

Blake tossed the bucket aside. "You set your bed on fire."

Sure enough Yang's bed was reduced to ashes. This hadn't happened to her in years. She recalled when she had trouble controlling her power when she first awakened to them.

"What happened?" Blake asked.

"I had a bad dream," Yang replied. "Where is everybody?"

"Ruby went to talk to Ozpin, Weiss is off doing something alone, and Jaune and his team are in the city."

Yang yawned. "Alright. I'm gonna hop in the shower. I'll catch up with you later."

Blake left the room as yang walked to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw that her eyes were a deep red. That usually only happened when she got angry or tapped into her powers. She recalled the feelings that ran through her mind during that fight in the dream. She was terrified, but she was bristling with excitement as well. She hadn't had a fight that good in years. Part of her wanted to fall asleep again so she could finish it.

Those thoughts were forced out of her mind by someone else forcing their way in. It was a voice that felt like a spike being driven into her head.

"Hello, child."

Yang clutched at her head. "Who are you?"

The voice let out a soft chuckle. "I am a friend, I assure you. I have been watching over you since the day you were born."

Yang felt her head throb. "Well that's just peachy, now what do you want?"

"I have some unfortunate news. Your mother is dead."

Yang's hands fell to her side. "What?"

"Yes, she was cut down by the angels. I saw it for myself."

Yang took a moment to process what she had just learned. Finding Raven was her whole life. It was why she became a Hunter, why she came to Beacon, why she almost got herself and Ruby killed when they were children. And she would never be able to find her mother. Everything she had lived for had been snatched away from her.

But something else crossed her mind at that moment.

"How did you know my mother?" Yang asked.

"It's simple, your family has been bound to demon kind since the beginning of this world. The Branwens can trace their origins back to the first demon. Your eyes are proof enough of your lineage."

Yang took another look in the mirror. Her eyes were still blood red. Even after she had calmed down they wouldn't go back to normal.

"So what do you want from me?" Yang asked.

"I am going give you the same offer I gave your mother. There is an incredible power lying dormant within you. I can release it for you if you desire."

"So what, you want me to become a demon? No thanks."

The voice laughed. "Child, you are already a demon. You can continue pretending to be a human all you like, but that will only lead to your destruction. I believe we have talked long enough. I will see you again, very soon."

Yang felt the voice leave her mind, and her eyes went back to their normal color.

Yang sighed. She hoped that she would never encounter that voice again.

XxX

Ruby stood in Ozpin's office. He had multiple monitors set up on his desk to monitor events throughout Remnant. Multiple news reports from all across the planet played at once. They didn't paint a very encouraging picture, especially the current happenings in Mistral.

Ozpin looked up from the monitors when he heard Ruby walk in.

"How can I help you Miss Rose?" he asked.

Ruby looked down at the ground. "I came to tell you that I defeated the demon at the core of the second Sector, but I wasn't able to retrieve the artifact. I'm sorry."

Ozpin sighed. "I see. It seems that there are others aware of their true nature. I can only hope that they have no malicious intent."

"What are those anyway? They must have something to do with why the demons are here in the first place."

Ozpin was quiet for a moment. "I'm afraid I cannot divulge that information at this time. I can only ask that you continue to collect them."

Ruby shrugged. "I was gonna do that anyway. I don't really feel right letting those things fall into someone else's hands." It was at that moment that Ruby looked around and saw that someone who should be here wasn't. "Where's Ms Goodwitch?"

Ozpin gestured towards one of the monitors. "I have asked Glynda to assist Haven's headmaster in restoring order to Mistral. They were hit the hardest by the demon invasion, and I do not wish to think of what would happen if the situation was allowed to further deteriorate."

Ruby nodded in agreement. "She's pretty strong, but can she fight against the demons? I've never seen her with one of her own."

Ozpin chuckled softly. "She can handle herself, I assure you. Now then, is there anything else you'd like to talk about."

There was something gnawing at the back of Ruby's mind, but she didn't feel ready to ask that question just yet.

"No, I don't think so," she replied.

"in that case I must bid you farewell for now. Take care, Miss Rose."

Ruby walked into the elevator. "You too, Professor."

As the elevator went to the ground floor a message popped up on her scroll. She opened it and saw that it didn't have a sender name.

 _I have something to give you the next time we meet._

"Is this from Stephen?" she asked. She didn't even realize it was possible for him to contact her outside of the Expanse. Then she realized that she knew basically nothing about him at all. Maybe when she saw him again she could ask him a few things about himself.

Between Ozpin and Stephen, Ruby realized that she had gained an affinity for old men since coming to Beacon.

"Is that really a good thing?" she asked herself.

She went back towards the school to find her friends.

XxX

"Man condemns himself by his refusal of God's love and mercy, God is offering to men and women a way of escape, a way of salvation, a hope and anticipation of better things. Man in his blindness, stupidity, stubbornness, egotism, and love of sinful pleasure, refuses God's simple method of escaping the pangs of eternal banishment."

Weiss read a passage from a book. She didn't recall ever buying it or checking it out form the library. It appeared in her bag the day after her team defeated Narcissus. The book was filled with passages like the one she had read. Several paragraphs were devoted to giving thanks to this "God", whoever they were. Weiss felt a sense of calm reading it. That was something she sorely needed after what she had gone through. She thumbed through the pages and saw what looked like sheet music. She recognized the notes and could hear the music in her head, but the lyrics were another story. The words were in a language she had never seen before. She tried to pronounce a word but felt a tightness in her throat. She couldn't say the words out loud, like something was physically stopping her.

"How strange. I wonder what this is?"

A single black feather fell out from in between the pages. Weiss picked it up. She smiled at it. If she ever saw Mastema again she would have to thank him for saving her. She owed him, and she needed to repay that debt.

XxX

The demon returned to its realm. Yang had rejected her offer, but that didn't faze it at all. Even if she had rejected the first temptation, there were still one-hundred and seven to go. Besides, there was something Yang had that her mother didn't: an insatiable lust for battle. The demon only needed to appeal to that and it would be a simple matter to bring her over to their side.

"I think I will try my next trick."

The demon turned toward their servant. "I want you to go to Beacon and fight Yang. Give her a taste of the power she could obtain."

"What if I kill her?" the servant asked.

"If she dies, she dies. I have no need for weaklings. You are not to hold back, am I clear?"

"Yes, my lord. I will see this task done."


	17. Lust

Ruby walked through the winding halls of the Expanse. She didn't understand why the path to Stephen's room got more difficult every time she came back to this realm. She added it to the list of things that she would have to ask him about when she saw him.

By the time she reached Stephen's room she was exhausted. Her feet were swollen and throbbing from walking so far.

"Why do I feel pain in a dream?" Ruby complained.

She opened the door and saw that Stephen wasn't typing away at his computer like normal. Instead he held what looked like a small flame in his hand. It was dark red and pulsing violently. Even standing by the door Ruby could feel the heat emitting from it. The burning heat made it hard to breathe. She took a step forward and her hair caught fire.

"Agh!" Ruby shouted, frantically swatting at her head. She ran her fingers through her singed hair and whined. "I hate this place."

At that moment, Stephen noticed Ruby's presence. He let go of the flame in his hand and it burst into particles of light and faded away.

"Hello, Ruby. It's good to see you again."

Ruby picked out burnt strands of her hair. "You too. So, what was that?"

Stephen went back to typing at his computer. "A soul."

Ruby blinked. "A soul? Like from a person?"

"Yes. Some deceased souls pass through this realm before moving on. I sometimes take time to observe them. I have seen all manner of things in the Expanse."

"That's pretty cool. So who was that just now?"

"A mighty warrior. She met her end at the hands of the Warriors of Light. Even in death her strength and her rage didn't fade."

Ruby wondered who that person could have been. "She sounds amazing. I wish I could have met her." Ruby then remembered that Stephen had called her here for a reason. "Oh yeah, didn't you say you had something for me?"

Stephen kept typing away at his computer. "I've already given it to you. If you are still using that Jack Frost then it will prove quite useful. If not, then feel free to give it to someone that can put it to use."

Ruby looked at her scroll and saw that she had received an item called the "Frost Vest".

What it was Ruby had no idea, but she knew that if Stephen had given it to her it must be good for something.

"Thanks," she said. "But why give me this? I thought you were just an observer."

Stephen stopped typing and looked at Ruby. "I am not sure myself. It doesn't matter anyway. You are not the first person I've encountered in the Expanse. Although, I hope you fare better than the others."

Ruby didn't want to know what had happened to the others. "Can I ask you something else?"

Stephen went back to typing. "Feel free."

"You used to be a human, right? What did you do back on Earth?"

"I was a scientist. I studied space and the stars. I had hoped that my research would lead to a better life for mankind, but that dream failed to materialize. Something had gone wrong, and I found myself trapped here."

Ruby frowned. "That sucks. How long have you been here?"

Stephen sighed. "I do not know. Some times I have only been here a few days, others it's been thousands of years. Often I find that I haven't slept for decades."

Ruby felt a pang of sympathy. She wished there was something she could do to help him. "Thanks for the talk. I'll be back soon."

"Goodbye, Ruby. I am looking forward to seeing you again."

XxX

The remaining members of Team RWBY were in the cafeteria along with Team JNPR. Ruby was still asleep while she traversed the Expanse.

Weiss picked at her food. "It's been more than twelve hours. How long is she going to be in there?"

"Who knows?" Blake said. "Still, I wish we could talk to that man. He must have all kinds of useful information. Maybe he even knows how to get rid of the demons for good."

Weiss sighed. "Speculation isn't getting us anywhere. All we can do is wait for Ruby to get back."

Yang stared at her untouched food. The demon's words still echoed in her mind. Her mother was dead, and she was killed because of her demonic bloodline. Yang wondered how long it would take before the angels came for her. Narcissus was only the second boss they had fought and he had given them more trouble than any other demon, and she knew that he was only a small fry compared to the other demons that roamed Remnant.

Blake looked over at Yang. "Something up?"

Yang nearly jumped out of her seat. "What? No, I was just thinking."

"That's a first," Weiss quipped. She tilted her head to the side to avoid the chicken wing Yang threw at her. "Seriously, something's up. You've been really quiet lately."

Yang put on her best fake smile. "I'm fine you guys, honest."

It was then that Ruby sat down at the lunch table.

"Hey guys," she said casually.

"Nice of you to join us, Sleeping Beauty," Yang chided.

Ruby groaned. "Do you have to rub it in like that? Believe me if someone finds a way for me to talk to Stephen without slipping into a coma I'll be first in line."

"So what did you two talk about?" Blake asked.

"He gave me something to give to my demon, then we talked about what he did when he lived on Earth." She sighed and ate a bit of her lunch. "I feel bad for him. He spends all day in that dungeon with no one to talk to. I wish I could help him."

"Some people like being alone," Weiss said.

"Maybe you're right." She looked over at Team JNPR chatting amongst themselves. She noticed that a member of the team was missing. "Where's Jaune?"

Weiss shrugged. "Miss Goodwitch asked him to see her in her office. He's probably getting chewed out for not studying again."

"Miss Goodwitch? She's been gone for days."

The other members of Team JNPR heard what Ruby had said and ended their conversation.

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"Ozpin told me that Glynda was going to Haven to help out there. She left days ago."

"Then who was that teaching class?" Nora asked.

Pyrrha rose from her seat and left the cafeteria without a word.

"Aren't you gonna go after her?" Yang asked.

Nora and Ren shook their heads vigorously.

"I am not getting in the middle of that," Ren said.

XxX

Jaune recalled the last time he had been in Glynda's office. It was near the beginning of the school year. She scolded him for his poor grades and lack of fighting prowess. Jaune thought that he would end up getting expelled. Luckily for him he had his team to help him improve. He wasn't anywhere near their level, but he wasn't completely hopeless.

Now, standing in the Assistant Headmaster's office once again, he wondered what he had done to anger her.

To his surprise, Glynda had a friendly smile on her face. That took Jaune by surprise. He had never seen her so much as smirk.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked her.

"I have. Why don't you take a seat." She guided Jaune into a chair and stood next to him. "I've been observing you for some time. You've improved quite a bit from when you first arrived here. To be honest, I thought that you would have died months ago, but you exceeded my expectations."

Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks, I guess."

Glynda placed her hands on his shoulders. "I understand that being a leader is very stressful. I cant imagine that the demons are making things any easier for you."

Jaune swallowed loudly. He could feel her pressing up against him. The flowery scent of her perfume filled his nose.

"You're right," he said, an octave higher than he intended.

Glynda moved to face Jaune. "Maybe I could help relieve some of that stress."

Jaune's mind went blank. "What do you mean by that?"

Glynda slowly licked her lips. "I think you know what I mean."

She leaned forward and press her lips against his. Jaune's eyes widened and he tried to back away, but Glynda held him firmly in place. She ran a hand over his chest, feeling his muscular body.

She giggled softly. "You're so fit. You've been working hard, haven't you?"

She slipped a hand under his shirt and slowly ran her fingers over his body. Jaune felt shocks where her fingers brushed against his skin.

Jaune decided to just go with it at that point. His hands glided over Glynda's body before settling on her hips. He moved his hands to her backside, causing Glynda to let out a small gasp.

"Oh my, you're so forward."

Glynda reached inside of her shirt and pulled out a lacy purple bra. She held it above Jaune's head before dropping on the ground. Jaune's eyes settled on her chest, and her hardened nipples poking through the fabric.

Glynda's eyes went down to the bulge in Jaune's pants. "I guess you like what you see. Maybe I should let you see a little more."

She undid the buttons on her shirt and tossed it aside, letting her ample breasts hang free. Glynda grabbed Jaune's hand and guided it to her chest. Jaune's fingers sank into her flesh. He traced a circle around her nipple. Glynda's breath hitched.

She reached for her glasses but Jaune held her hand in place.

"Leave them on," he panted.

Glynda grinned and readjusted her glasses. Her hands went to her skirt before the door to her office exploded and a bullet blew through her head.

Pyrrha rushed into the room and delivered a flying dropkick to Glynda's head, driving the woman into the ground. Pyrrha raised her spear and stabbed Glynda over and over again, screaming with rage the entire time.

It took Jaune a few seconds for the events to register. When he realized what was happening he jumped out of his seat.

"Pyrrha! What are you doing?" he shouted.

Pyrrha drove her spear through Glynda's heart. The older woman's body began to emit a black smoke as it morphed and shifted. Her body shrank until she was two feet shorter, and her eyes went from green to grey. Her outfit changed to a black leotard, and she now had a pair of leathery wings and a pointed tail.

"She was a demon?" Jaune said.

He didn't get an answer before Pyrrha grabbed him by the arm and dragged him from the office.

XxX

Back at the cafeteria Yang was doubled over with laughter after learning about what happened in Glynda's office.

Pyrrha was still red in the face after explaining what happened. "This isn't funny, Yang. Jaune was nearly raped!"

Yang wiped a tear from her eye. "Really? He doesn't look that shaken up about it."

Everyone's eyes went to Jaune, still staring at the hand that grabbed Glynda with a goofy looking smile on his face.

"You okay there, big guy?" Yang asked.

Jaune snapped back to reality. "Huh?"

Weiss shook her head. "How did none of us realize that Glynda was an impostor?"

Blake shrugged. "I mean, what do we really know about her? None of us could say what's she's really like."

Jaune shrugged. "I thought she was acting kinda weird the past couple days."

"How so?" Weiss asked.

Jaune looked deep in thought. "Well she'd been really affectionate towards me. You know, she kept on hugging me, giving me compliments, that sort of stuff. When we would talk she'd lean forward like she wanted me to look down her shirt. And there was that time she dropped her riding crop and bent over to pick it up. I could practically see up her skirt it was so short. "

"And none of that struck you as odd?" Blake asked.

Jaune shrugged. "I figured it was one of those things. You know, a single woman getting on in years tries to draw the attention of a strapping young man. When my oldest sister got dumped she started doing the same thing. Of course I was the only man around."

"You know, the more I learn about you the more I understand why you did what you did," Ren said.

Nora raised her hand. "More importantly, this is the third demon that's attacked Jaune this week. What is going on?"

Jaune's Pixie, lounging on top of his head like usual, chimed in. "Obviously it's because they know how amazing my master is. Of course, I'm the only woman for him."

Pyrrha ground her teeth in frustration. "You're a demon."

Pixie shrugged. "So? Humans and demons entered relationships all the time where I came from. Some of them even had children together."

Weiss nearly spat out her drink. "That is disgusting."

Pixie's eyes narrowed. "You're just narrow minded."

Weiss and the small demon glared at each other, but their attention was drawn to a group of students approaching their table.

Cardin sat down at the table with an uncharacteristically friendly grin on his face. The rest of his team were looking at Jaune with a mixture of wonder and reverence.

"What's up, Pimp Juice," Cardin said to Jaune.

Jaune smiled at his friend. "Hey Cardin."

Russel grasped Jaune's hands, tears streaming down his face. "Please, make me your disciple."

Jaune recoiled slightly. "What are you talking about?"

Cardin chuckled. "No need to act modest, Jauney boy. The whole school's talking about how you nailed Glynda right in her office."

"But that was just a demon."

Cardin dismissively waved his hand. "Details, details."

Sky sighed. "Who knows when another Succubus will appear. I really liked her transformations."

Dove looked at Sky with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah dude, that pop singer with the big ass." Sky held out his hands for emphasis.

"I don't wanna hear about this," Ruby said. She slipped her headphones on and began blasting her music at maximum volume.

Weiss went paler than normal. "You people have been… fornicating with the demons?"

Cardin shrugged. "Some guys are into that. I like to go down to that Lamia nest in the woods every other night."

Sky went green. "Dude, Lamias?"

"Hey, they might be half snake but they're all woman."

Pyrrha placed her head in her hands. "I can't believe what I'm hearing."

Weiss pointed at Cardin. "You people are deplorable. Are you so consumed by your base desires that you would lie with those monsters?"

Cardin snorted. "Spare me. Besides, you think it's just us? Why do you think Coco's been walking around bow-legged for the past two weeks?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Nora said.

Ren frowned. "All of that aside, it is concerning that demons are so easily able to infiltrate the school. I fear it's only a matter of time before we're completely overrun."

Yang leaned back in her chair. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. No point in worrying about 'what if'."

At that moment every scroll in the room rang with a familiar alarm.

"Warning, a powerful demon has been detected."

"What?" Weiss said. "Why would one appear in the open like this?"

Ruby called for her weapon. "Get ready."

There was a flash of light, then another. The ground shook with a tremendous force. After one last flash of light a demon appeared before them.

It looked almost human. It's upper body was that of an incredibly muscular man, but that was all that was human about it. It's legs ended in hooves, and it's head was a skull, with a bull's body surrounding it.

Ruby felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

The demon exhaled, causing the ground to shake.

"I am the Minotaur, servant of the Lords of Chaos. I have been sent here at the request of my master." The demon looked around the room and observed the students staring slack-jawed. "Now then, which one of you is Yang?"

* * *

 **AN: if you enjoyed the chapter then be sure to hit that fav button, leave a review, donate to my , give me a quart of your blood and sacrifice your firstborn  
**


	18. Bull

The Minotaur immediately found himself surrounded by armed students. the demon laughed at the approaching foes.

"I was sent for Yang, but I doubt my master will be displeased if there are other powerful warriors to enlist to her cause."

The students unleashed a barrage of gunfire and explosives, obscuring the demon in a thick black smoke. An unharmed Minotaur emerged from the smoke. Despite his lack of any facial features, disdain was clearly written all over his face.

The demon sighed. "Pitiful. Fight me as if you mean to kill me."

A student drew their sword and charged at the demon. He jumped and swung downwards at the demon's head. The demon caught the blade between his fingers. The student jerked on the blade's handle with all his strength, but the sword wouldn't budge. The demon snapped the blade in two with no effort. He then buried his fist in the student's chest, shattering his ribs and destroying his lungs. The student fell to the ground and died.

A horde of students attacked the demon at once. A storm of blades and bludgeons descended upon the demon. The demon took a deep breath and unleashed a flurry of blows. Broken weapons and bodies flew in every direction. Some students were able to limp away, others simply stopped moving.

The demon exhaled and sent out a stream of fire. The students in the immediate vicinity were incinerated. The Minotaur crushed a blackened skull underfoot.

"You are weak, far too weak. I have no need for such worthless fighters."

The demon was suddenly rocked by an explosion that sent it flying back.

"Why don't you try me you overgrown cow?" Cardin shouted.

The Minotaur's skeletal face seemed to shift into a smile. "Fascinating. Let's see if your strength matches your ambition."

The Minotaur exchanged blows with the hunter. His fists collided with the student's mace. The demon chuckled. He clenched his fist and struck out at Cardin. Cardin swung his mace with as much force as he could muster. The two attacks collided, triggering an explosion. When the smoke cleared the Minotaur stood holding Cardin up by his neck. Cardin's mace was broken along with his right arm. Still, Cardin's manic grin stayed strong.

The Minotaur laughed. "I meant to take that arm of yours. You are far stronger than I anticipated. I will inform my master of your prowess."

Cardin spat out a glob of blood. "Why wait? How 'bout you bring that master of yours out and I'll kick their ass right now."

The Minotaur sighed. "My master is far beyond your comprehension. If you train for one thousand years, you might be worthy of being her servant."

He viciously slammed Cardin's head into the ground. Cardin couldn't move a muscle, but he was breathing.

"Cardin!" Sky shouted. He ran to his leader and carried him to safety.

The Minotaur stood unmatched. Several students were dead, and more were severely injured, but the demon wasn't even close to finished.

"I have wasted enough time with these distractions." His empty eye sockets went toward a certain blonde fighter. "It is time for you to prove your worth, Yang."

Yang donned her gauntlets and slowly walked towards the demon. "You know, I had a talk with your master. I told her to take her little offer and shove it up her ass. Maybe if I give her your head she'll finally get the message."

Yang and the demon stood eye to eye. Neither one wanted to move at first. Yang's eyes were blood red. The air between them crackled with energy.

Watching all of this, Ruby's eyes began to throb. It was like she could see the flow of power between them. In terms of sheer destructive power they were equal. But there was a nagging doubt in the back of Ruby's mind. The Minotaur was hiding something, waiting for the right time to unleash it.

Ruby's thoughts were interrupted by Yang's fist crashing into the demon's body. The Minotaur was blown off his feet and sent flying. There was a fist shaped imprint in his chest.

Yang looked at the fallen demon with contempt. "Get up."

The demon rose to his feet and charged at Yang. It swung its fist at her head, but she easily dodged it and slammed her fist into his face. The demon stumbled backwards. Yang shot forward like a rocket and buried his fist in the demon's face. The demon let out a small gasp of pain.

Yang had a slight smile on her face. She cracked her knuckles and relaxed slightly. "That all you got?"

The demon rose to his feet. The muscles in his legs bulged and he exploded forward. He hooked his fist into Yang's stomach faster than she could react. The impact was like a sledgehammer. Bile spilled from her lips as the demon's fists came crashing down on her head. Yang tried to move, but felt the demon's foot pressed down on her head.

The demon sneered at yang. "Stop holding back. Why do you not use your true power?"

He grabbed Yang by the leg and flung her into a far wall. Yang tensed at the moment of impact.

There was a moment where no one moved at all. There wasn't even any sound. The fuse had been lit. It was only a matter of time.

The cafeteria was rocked by an explosion. A pillar of fire appeared blasting white hot flames into the ceiling. Every step Yang took melted the stone beneath her feet. The edges of her hair glowed orange.

Yang blitzed the demon and jumped over his head. She spun her body and blasted the demon in the head. The two traded blows, their fists striking again and again. The two fighters disappeared in a storm of punches. The demon was slowly being pushed back. His fists were being overpowered. Yang started to laugh. She couldn't help it. She was strong on her own. She didn't need any demon's help.

Each punch Yang sent out unleashed a jet of fire. The heat would have been unbearable if not for her natural immunity to fire.

Ruby's brow furrowed. Something wasn't right. Yang's fire was unbearably hot. Even from several feet away the heat was sweltering, but the demon was taking multiple direct hits with no problem. It was like the fire didn't affect him at all.

Her eyes began to throb. Words appeared in her head.

 _Fire is ineffective_

Ruby's eyes went wide as she observed the battle. The Minotaur's face shifted into a smirk, like it was all going according to plan.

"Yang, stop!" Ruby shouted.

Yang attacked the demon again, intending to finish their fight. The demon parried her fist and buried his own in her chest. Yang was blown off her feet. That punch was harder than any she had ever taken.

Yang coughed. "What the hell was that?"

The Minotaur looked down at his hand. "A momentary but exponential increase in power. But it requires you to sacrifice your own body. It is a blade that cuts both you and your enemy."

Yang couldn't believe what she was seeing. The Minotaur had hardly taken any damage.

"No way. After all that?"

The demon sighed. "That is the limit of your human abilities. If you cannot defeat me, you stand no chance against the other servants, let alone the angels, let alone my master." The demon took a deep breath. "Now, let me show you what true power is."

The demon's body shook and crackled with energy. Yang felt a chill go up her spine. Even so, she stood and prepared to attack again. She focused her aura around her fist and charged. She attacked with all the strength she had left. The demon caught her fist in her own. Her attack was completely neutralized. The demon looked down on Yang with a look of disdain.

"You are weak, far too weak. My master told me to kill you if you failed to defeat me, but I wish to see you grow into a true warrior. However, I must teach you your place."

The demon grasped yang's other hand. All of the spectators went pale, as if they knew what was about to happen. Yang felt the demon pressing down on her hands. More and more the pressure built until she felt her hands break. The demon kept going, until the bones in her hands were reduced to splinters. Yang's screams echoed through the cafeteria, and then there was only silence. Yang's eyes lost their red coloration, right before she lost consciousness.

A shadow appeared over the demon's head. Blake swung down with her cleaver. The demon punched Blake in the stomach. Blake wasn't nearly as tough as Yang. The blow pierced her stomach and broke her spine. Blake's body hung limp on the demon's fist before fading away.

The demon sighed. "By my estimation, Yang is the most powerful among all of you. There is no point in fighting any further."

Blake sat near a wall clutching at her stomach, her eyes wide with terror. One blow had completely sapped her will to fight. That was death standing there. No matter how hard she tried she would never be able to defeat that monster.

Ruby tried to find a way to win. The demon was strong and had a body like steel. Even so, there had to be a way to defeat it. She suddenly felt a shock in her brain. It felt like a current was running through her eyes.

 _Ice is effective_

She summoned her demon, and Jack Frost appeared in a shower of light.

"Hee-ho! It's been a few chapters since I last appeared, ho. I was beginning to think the author forgot about me, ho."

Ruby didn't even try to understand what her demon was talking about, but she remembered the item Stephen had given her. She looked through her inventory and selected the Frost Vest. The item appeared in Jack Frost's hands, and the demon was engulfed in a ball of light. When the light faded the demon had taken on a completely different appearance. It's body was covered by black suit with an "A" written on the front, and its hat was replaced by a silver helmet. It still only came up to Ruby's waist, so Ruby wasn't sure how much stronger it became.

The demon posed dramatically. "Through the power of the Frost Vest, I hee-have been transformed into the Dark Warrior of Justice, Frost Ace, ho. I will dispatch evil wherever I find it. Pre-hee-pare to die, evildoer!"

The Minotaur laughed. "Fascinating. Just try and kill me."

The two demons attacked each other. Their fists collided, sending shockwaves through the room. Despite its small size, the Frost Ace matched the Minotaur blow for blow. As the battle continued the Minotaur slowly slid backwards.

The bull demon's lips curled into a smile. "Very good. Let us see how you fare against this." He opened his mouth and spewed a torrent of fire. The Frost slammed his hands on the ground and erected a massive pillar of ice, neutralizing the fire. The two demons were obscured by a cloud of steam. After a heavy thud, the Minotaur was sent flying from the cloud.

The Minotaur slowly rose to his feet. He charged toward the demon, but was enclosed by a black dome that drove him into the ground. He looked and saw a girl with white hair pointing a sword at him.

Ruby selected the _Bufudyne_ command, and Frost Ace conjured a massive spear of ice that impaled the Minotaur. Deep red cracks appeared in the bull's body. He could feel his life running out.

"Well done, humans. What you lack in strength you have in tenacity. Perhaps that is what I was lacking. Forgive me, master. I will not be able to return to your side."

The Minotaur's body exploded. Like always, a cheerful jingle played from the surviving students' scrolls.

"Congratulations, the Beast Minotaur can now be summoned through fusion."

Weiss sighed. "Small victories, I guess."

The doors to the cafeteria burst open and the school's staff rushed in. Professor Port gasped at the carnage before him. The cafeteria was destroyed. The floor was dotted with craters, and the intact parts where marked with blood and scorch marks. There were bodies scattered all across the room. Some were badly injured, but others were clearly dead.

"How horrible," Professor Oobleck remarked.

Ruby suddenly remembered her sister. "Yang!" She ran to Blake, who was holding Yang in her arms. Ruby gasped when she saw Yang's hands. They were reduced to pulp, a red and pink mass with small bits of white.

Ruby's felt a knot in her stomach. Her sister was powerful, able to beat anyone she found herself facing. But now she had been completely defeated, possibly even rendered unable to fight again. At the heart of all of this there was something else that made Ruby want to scream.

This was all a test. All of the dead, all of the injured, the lives forever changed, all of it was for a test. A test they failed. They had grown complacent. They were secure in the thought that no truly dangerous demon could penetrate Beacon's halls. Their hubris nearly cost them everything.

They had survived, but not a single one of them would call this a victory.

* * *

 **AN:** I read somewhere that the key to writing a story is to think of a scene you really want to write and build a story around it. This is one of those scenes I really wanted to write. I had this moment in mind before I even thought up the rest of the story.

Also, apologies to any Yang fans but this suffering train is only just leaving the station. I am going to dump all over her.

If you liked the chapter leave a review, sent me threatening letters, and email me abusive audio messages


	19. Encounter

Beacon's faculty sat around a large table. The air was heavy, a sense of dread lingering in the air. The teachers were still reeling from the events of the previous day. Twenty students had died, with several more severely injured. A single demon tore through them like cloth. Worse still, it appeared in the middle of the school. They thought they were safe in Beacon, but the events of yesterday proved one thing to be true: they were only as safe as the demons allowed them to be.

Ozpin sighed. "What happened yesterday was unacceptable. We cannot allow ourselves to be caught off guard again."

"How could something like this happen?" Professor Port asked.

Professor Oobleck sighed. "We allowed ourselves to become complacent. We underestimated the demons. I doubt any of us imagined that they would just appear in the school. My question is, what do we do now?"

Port stared at his hands. "I fear that things will only get worse from here on out. If what the students have reported is true, then that demon was merely a servant. I doubt we will truly be prepared for what will come next."

Ozpin took a sip of his drink. "I agree. I have come up with a revised lesson plan to better prepare our students for future battles."

Professor Peach laid her head down on the table. "So I have to be the asshole, huh? All right. That demon was looking for Yang. Why?"

The table was deathly quiet. Each of the teachers had the same idea, but none of them wanted to voice their concerns.

Ozpin tightened the grip on his mug. "I cannot divulge that information."

"So you do know why."

"Yes."

"Then tell us. We agreed to let her in the school because we figured she wouldn't turn out like her mother, but this is another matter entirely."

"I am asking you to trust me."

Peach sighed. "I trust you, but that's about it. I've seen what demons do to people's minds. I don't want anything like that to happen to Yang or any of the other students."

"I agree." He checked the time on his scroll. "I believe that is all for today. This meeting is adjourned."

The other teachers slowly filed out of the room. Ozpin remained in his seat, alone in the meeting room. He drained what drink he had left. He buried his head in his hands and sighed. He thought he'd be used to this, but he was wrong. Those students had placed their faith in him and he let them down. They lost their lives because they chose the wrong person to trust.

Familiar images flashed in his mind. Entire nations destroyed, the bodies of millions littering the ground, the entire planet completely devoid of life. If he was destined to go through that again, he would rather die. But he couldn't die. It wasn't his right. After everything he had done he couldn't just walk away.

A hand landed softly on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Glynda looking down at him.

"I see you've returned."

Glynda nodded. "I heard about what happened. I only wish I could have been there to help."

Ozpin rose from his seat. "You had a job to do at Haven. It is my fault for growing complacent."

Glynda sighed. "You're not at fault either. This tragedy is because of the demons, no one else. You don't have to take the blame for everything."

The two stood there in silence. Glynda was the only person who truly understood Ozpin's thoughts.

Ozpin went towards the door. "I've begun planning for a memorial service. I need you to send notification to the deceased students' families."

"Understood," Glynda replied.

XxX

Teams RWBY and JNPR waited outside the infirmary. There was no room to wait around inside. Every bed was filled by an injured student surrounded by their friends and teammates. Eventually the nurses had to force everyone from the room that wasn't a patient. That left the students standing in the hall twiddling their thumbs.

Yang was still unconscious. After what had happened to her no one knew if she'd even be able to fight again.

"This sucks," Nora said.

Ren nodded in agreement. "There's nothing we can do right now."

"At least Yang's stable," Weiss said.

Ruby didn't say anything. Her mind was replaying the fight over and over. She felt a throbbing in her head. Her eyes were key to victory yesterday, but she hadn't come any closer to understanding them. She thought about asking Ozpin, but he had enough to deal with. Maybe Stephen would know about it.

A crash came from the infirmary, followed by people shouting. The waiting students rushed in and saw Cardin struggling against three nurses. There was a brace around his neck and several tubes sticking out of his undamaged arm. Two nurses were holding on to his legs while another had her hands around his waist.

"Mr. Winchester you must calm down," one nurse said, trying to hold on to her thrashing patient.

Cardin yanked the tubes out of his arm with his teeth. "And I told you I'm fine. I don't wanna stay cooped up in here."

"You have a broken neck. One wrong move and you'll end up paralyzed."

"I don't care!" Cardin shouted.

Soft footsteps tapped against the tile floor. The elderly head nurse looked at Cardin with a frown.

"I see that you are insistent upon leaving," she said.

"Finally someone's talking sense," he replied.

The woman reached into her coat and pulled out a bottle of pills. "For the pain. Your recovery will not be easy."

Cardin took the bottle and felt the nurses let go of him. He walked up to the old woman and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks." He left the room, only sparing a quick glance towards the other students.

Ruby looked around at the assorted beds. Some students had limbs wrapped in casts, others had burns covered up with bandages. There were students hooked up to machines to monitor their vitals, and there were students that needed machines to help them breathe and eat. She felt a knot in her stomach.

Weiss walked up to the old woman. "Has Yang woken up?"'

The nurse shook her head. "I'll let you know as soon as she does."

Blake's bow twitched. She heard someone speaking in a weak, raspy voice.

"Weiss? Izzat you?"

Her friends ran to her bedside.

Tears streamed down Ruby's face. "You're awake!"

Yang coughed. Vivid memories flashed through her mind. The bodies, the fire, her hands. She shuddered. "What happened?"

"I killed the demon that hurt you."

Yang smiled slightly. "Good." She raised her hand to caress Ruby's head. she tried, at least. She couldn't put any power into her hands. In fact she didn't even feel them. Looking down she saw they were still there, covered in blood soaked bandages, but she couldn't so much as lift a finger.

Sweat broke out on her face. "What happened to me?"

The other students looked away from her, unable to meet her gaze.

Blake spoke up, her bow nearly flat against her head. "They were able to keep you from losing your hands, but the nerves were too badly damaged. They said you wont be able to use them anymore."

Yang's felt a lump in her throat. "What?"

No one said anything. They all looked down at the ground. Ruby's hands were balled into fists, and her tears dripped onto her clothes.

Yang looked around at her friends. "You guys are joking, right? There's no way that's true." Their silence confirmed her worst fears. "I can't fight anymore?"

She laid her head down and stared at the ceiling. It was all over. She had lost everything. It wasn't just that she couldn't fight, but she couldn't protect her friends anymore.

Tears ran down her face. If she couldn't fight, then she was worthless.

Weiss shook her head vigorously. She grabbed her scroll and summoned her Angel. The divine being looked down at her master.

"What is it you ask of me, master?"

Weiss gestured towards Yang. "Can you heal my friend? I've seen you angels work miracles before."

Angel looked at Yang. Her face twisted into a scowl. "I refuse."

Weiss' heart sank. "What? Why?"

"That one is thick with the stench of Chaos. I will not sully my hands with such a task. If I had the strength I would strike her down here and now."

A woman's deep laughter echoed through the room. "Seeking help from an angel? Did that battle leave you addled in the brain, Yang?"

A woman slowly entered the infirmary. It was immediately obvious that this woman wasn't human. Not just because she was over eight feet tall, but because her power seeped from every pore. The room became thick with it, making it difficult to breathe.

Setting all of that aside, the students were caught off guard by how tacky the woman looked. Her hair was a poisonous shade of green, and it went down to her waist. Her eyes glowed yellow. She was wearing a black dress that was cut low to show off her ample bosom. Her fingers were adorned with golden rings and she had several gold chains around her neck. To cap it all off there was a fur boa draped across her shoulders. She looked like an actress from those movies they keep behind a locked door.

The woman looked at the Angel. "Begone."

The angel disappeared and returned to her master's scroll.

The woman sauntered over to Yang's bed. "Hello again. I see you've found yourself in a predicament. My servant certainly didn't hold back."

She suddenly found herself being blocked off by Yang's friends. She regarded them with a smirk. "How cute."

Blake raised her sword. "Who are you?"

The woman sighed, unleashing a massive explosion that ripped through the room and incinerated everyone inside. Every living thing in the room was burned to ash, leaving only the woman standing in a scorched room.

Blake dropped her sword, letting it fall to the ground. Her eyes were wide with terror. She wasn't alone. Everyone had the same vision. The woman had only let out a fraction of her power and broken their spirit without moving a muscle.

No, she saw two people standing there, undeterred. A young girl with silver eyes, and a tall blond man. The woman smirked. It was rare to find people who could stand against her.

The silver eyed girl glared at her. "Stop messing around. Who are you."

The woman laughed. "Forgive me, I merely wanted to test you. I am Mara of the Lords of Chaos. I have certain plans for Yang. I hoped that she would agree to join me, but I was forced to use a bit of persuasion."

Ruby stepped up to the woman. "What do you want with my sister?"

"I merely wish for her to avoid the same fate that befell her mother. I want her to be strong enough to survive."

Ruby's brow furrowed. "Her mother? What are you talking about? Our mother's been dead for years."

Yang shot up in her bed and glared at Mara. "Don't you dare."

Mara's face broke into a wide grin. "Oh my. You mean she doesn't know?. Do any of them? Dear, dear, it's not nice to keep secrets from your friends." She turned towards the other students. "Yang's mother is Raven Branwen."

There was a long silence that was only broken by a nurse dropping a glass thermometer. The nurse looked at Yang like she was being cornered by a wild animal she didn't want to upset. All of the nurses gave Yang the same look. A few of the injured students suddenly felt a familiar feeling, like they were staring death in the face.

A student's shout broke the silence.

"You're lying! Yang has a bit of a temper but she's a good person. There's no way a monster like Raven could be her mother."

Nora's eyes darted back and forth between Yang and the woman.

The woman shook her head. "Perhaps some proof is needed." She reached forward and grabbed Yang by her ear. A small jolt of green energy ran through Yang's body, and her eyes changed from lavender to crimson.

Nora recognized those eyes instantly. Those eyes that shone in the dark the night her home was destroyed. Those eyes that brought raiders to her village and burned it to the ground, those eyes that narrowed into a sneer as they saw a little girl crying over her family.

She took a step back before running out of the infirmary. Ren sighed and followed her out.

"Oh my, I wonder what that was about?" Mara said mockingly.

"What are you doing here?" Yang asked.

"I'm here to teach you a lesson. You are weak, and the weak only exist to be trodden on by the strong. But honestly, I wanted to mess with you a little. Because I know you can't stop me. You're lower than dirt right now, and that's where you'll stay unless you choose to join me."

For a moment flames appeared around Yang's body, but they faded away just as quickly. There wasn't anything she could do. She couldn't even make a fist.

The woman scowled. "Look at you, content to crawl along the ground. If I had known one defeat would be enough to break you I wouldn't have bothered. Perhaps Raven was right about you."

Yang's bed exploded. Yang stood up and drove her foot into Mara's stomach. Mara doubled over from the pain. Yang threw her head back and slammed it into the demon's face. A loud crack rang through the infirmary. A line of blood slowly ran down Yang's face.

Yang didn't even blink when the flowing blood reached her eyes. "You talk too much. Say what you have to and get the fuck out."

Mara wiped blood from her nose. "Interesting. You might be worth pursuing after all."

She jammed her bloody finger into Yang's mouth. A burning feeling coursed through Yang's body. She fell to the ground writhing in pain.

Mara watched with a faint smile. "A drop of my blood is enough to kill a human, but for you it will unlock a small portion of your true power.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked through gritted teeth.

"You will find out. However this is the last time I will assist you. 'The first taste is free', as you humans like to say. Until we meet again, Yang."

Mara ripped open a hole in the air and disappeared.

Three teachers rushed into the infirmary. One took a look around at the destroyed floor and bed with a raised eyebrow.

"What happened here?"

Yang felt a stabbing pain in her hands. She felt a finger twitch. Then two. Then she balled her hand into a fist.

"Nothing," she replied. Her vision swam, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"I might have a concussion," she said before thudding into the floor.

XxX

Blake sat on the roof of the school's dorm. She couldn't focus. So much had happened in such a short amount of time and she couldn't make sense of any of it.

Most of it was about Yang. That bull demon came looking for her, and Blake didn't understand why. Was yang a demon? Was she in on it somehow? Was she just playing everyone this entire time?

Blake shook her head. She felt sick not being able to trust her friend. Yang had pulled her out of a bad spot, and she needed to return the favor.

"But how do I do that?" she asked

"I dunno, but I doubt talking to your self is the right answer," a voice replied.

Blake sat up so fast she nearly fell off the roof. She turned around and saw a familiar blonde monkey Faunus.

"Sun! What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in days."

Sun shrugged. "I went back to Haven for a bit."

"Why?"

"Well I was sleeping in the hangar when I saw that woman that's always with Ozpin climb into one of the Bullheads. I just knew she was gonna do something fun so I snuck on-board. We landed at Haven and there was this huge battle going on. Aw man, you shoulda seen it. There were all these demons and huntsmen and they were using magic and everything was exploding. It took forever, but we were able to drive the demons out of Mistral."

Blake's ears twitched. "Wow, that sounds amazing."

Sun sat down on the edge of the building. "Yeah, it was. So, what's going on with you?"

Blake was quiet for a moment. "A demon came into the school and killed twenty people, Yang got really hurt, and I think she might be a demon too. I don't know what to do. This is all too much."

"Even if Yang was a demon, she'd still be Yang, right?"

Blake looked at Sun for a moment. That was the closest he'd ever come to sounding profound. Then again, maybe his simplicity allowed him to see life in ways other didn't, or couldn't.

"That's an interesting perspective," Blake said.

"Yep, I get told I'm an interesting guy."

Blake stood up. "I need to think about this. Thanks for talking with me."

Sun smiled at Blake. "No problem."

He watched Blake leave the roof. Once she was gone he let out a heavy sigh.

"You gotta value your friends. They could be gone before you know it."

XxX

Mara returned to her lair, one of the deepest layers of the Demon Realm. It was a plane of infinitely stretching darkness, exactly what she liked.

She sat on her throne and laughed. Today was far more productive than she thought it would be.

"Yang, grow strong. I have high hopes for you."

She heard footsteps. Someone walked up to her. A man with orange hair and a black bowler hat.

"Evening. I was wondering if we could chat for a bit."

Mara's eyes narrowed. This person appeared to be a human, but that wasn't possible. At this depth the Demon Realm was inhospitable even to weaker demons. No human could survive down here.

"Who are you?" Mara asked.

"For now, my name is Roman Torchwick. It's an honor to meet you, Lady Mara."

"Why are you here?"

Roman twirled his cane. "I've been watching you, how you've been dealing with that Yang girl. I like your style, but you're going about it the wrong way. I've known that girl for a long time, and she's not interested in any of that World of Strength nonsense."

Mara raised an eyebrow. "Assuming that you are correct, what is she interested in?"

Roman grinned. "Her friends. She's the kind of girl that'll set herself on fire to keep them warm. She'll do anything to protect them. If you want her on your side, work that angle."

Mara thought for a moment. Yang fought the most fiercely when her friends were in danger.

"I see your point. Perhaps I should try your suggestion."

"Actually, I don't want you to do anything."

In the next instant Mara had her hands wrapped around Roman's throat, and her eyes burned with green fire.

"Who are you to make demands of me?" she asked.

Roman coughed. "All I'm asking is that you fall back for a bit. I've got a plan, and if it works we'll both get what we want."

Mara let Roman drop. "And what is in it for you?"

Roman rubbed his neck. "I just wanna enjoy myself. It's been way too long since I've been part of something fun."

Mara had an idea of who this person really was, but didn't feel the need to ask. Even if he was who she thought, he posed no danger to her. If he betrayed her, she would destroy him, simple as that.

She went back to her throne. "Very well, Roman. I will remain here for the time being. Do not disappoint me."

"You made the right choice, ma'am. And may I say you are a much better sight than the woman I'm working for now."


	20. Return

Yang walked down the hallway towards the school courtyard. It had been three days since the Minotaur appeared, and the students were slowly settling back into a sense of normalcy.

Yang ignored the mutters, the whispers, and the stares. Rumors had quickly spread through the school about what had happened in the infirmary. Between what they learned about her mother and the knowledge that the demon that attacked the school had come for her in particular, Yang often found herself the topic of conversation. Very few of it was positive. The Branwens were notorious on Remnant, and Beacon was filled with their victims. And while no one knew what kind of connection Yang had with the demons, there being a connection at all put them on edge. Some even thought that she had brought the demons to Remnant, though no one was willing to say that to her face.

She stepped out into the courtyard where other students were waiting. Some of them were huddled up with their friends, holding on to them for comfort. Others had no one. There were a few students that had lost all of their friends since the demons invasion.

Ozpin stood in front of the statue in the center of the courtyard. He began with some speech that Yang wasn't paying attention to. All of the words came out gibberish, like it was a different language. Whatever it was it likely wasn't important.

Two hours later Ozpin's speech finished. The students slowly filed back towards the school. Yang noticed that there were students with their bags packed boarding airships leaving Beacon. Not that she could blame them. Not everyone was built for this.

Yang turned to leave when she heard someone call out to her.

"A moment, if you please, Miss Xiao Long," Ozpin said.

Yang turned around and saw Ozpin with Glynda standing behind him.

"What do you need?"

Ozpin kept the same neutral expression he always had. "I was wondering if we could go somewhere and talk."

Yang shrugged. "Sure."

The three went to a secluded area on the campus. Yang took a moment to observe the two teachers. Ozpin looked as relaxed as ever, but Glynda kept a firm grip on her riding crop. Yang hoped that whatever was about to happen wouldn't end in a fight.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Yang asked.

"I merely wanted to know how you were faring after the past few days," Ozpin replied.

"Well I found out my mom died and I might be a demon, a demon broke into the school and beat seven shades of shit out of me, and another demon came into the school and laid my closest kept secrets bare in front of everyone, but other than that I've been just fine."

Ozpin chuckled. "Well it's nice to know that your sense of humor remains intact."

Yang looked over toward Glynda. "You can relax. I got a bit of demon blood in me, but nothing's changed. I'm not gonna fly off the handle or anything like that."

Glynda relaxed slightly. "Perhaps, but it never hurts to be prepared. If I had any doubts about you now would be the best time to act. Depending on your progress you may become too powerful to stop."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Ozpin interjected. "That many paths have been laid out before you. I can only hope you will choose the correct one."

Yang looked into Ozpin's eyes. His expression didn't change, but the meaning behind his words rang loud and clear. If Yang decided to turn against humanity, he would put her down like a rabid dog.

Yang sighed. "If that's all I'm gonna head back to my room."

She began to walk away, but something came over her.

"My mother, what was she like?"

Ozpin paused for a moment. "She was one of my greatest students. She was strong, driven, and passionate. She was also completely amoral, and thought nothing of using force to get what she wanted. You are like her in many ways, but in many ways you are her complete opposite. I doubt you will follow the same path that she did."

Yang smiled slightly. "Thanks."

XxX

Weiss sat at her desk reading her book. She had just read a passage that resonated within her heart.

 _The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance._

The book was one of the few distractions she still had. As the demon crisis worsened she found that she had less and less time to relax. Perhaps that was why Mastema had given her the book.

This "Lord" that had been mentioned piqued her curiosity. He was mentioned several times throughout the book, sometimes as a figure to be worshiped, other times as something to be feared. His love and his wrath existed equally. It fascinated her, and left her wanting to know more.

Weiss heard a knock at the door. She walked up and opened it, seeing a familiar redhead on the other side.

"Pyrrha? Did you need something?"

Pyrrha had a small grin as she waved at Weiss. "Hello again. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment."

"Are your teammates busy?"

Pyrrha shook her head. "They're not, but this isn't something I want to bother them with."

Weiss motioned toward a bed and she and Pyrrha sat down together.

"What's up?" Weiss asked.

Pyrrha sighed. "I've been thinking about the past couple of months. I thought that I was good enough to take on anyone, but now I'm having second thoughts. I haven't had a fight that I can say I've won since the demons arrived. But then I look at my teammates, at Jaune. They're all progressing at a rate I never thought possible. I think they might leave me behind."

Weiss looked down at the floor. The Invincible Girl had just laid herself bare in front of her. Weiss didn't know what to say to that. She grasped for words, until she remembered a passage from the book.

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Pyrrha blinked. "What was that?"

"It's something I read in a book. I know what it's like to feel like you're not good enough, like now matter how hard you try you just can't keep up." Weiss looked around and made sure no one else was coming. "I've never told anyone this, but I was thinking about dropping out of Beacon at the beginning of the year."

Pyrrha suppressed a gasp. "Really? Why?"

Weiss sighed. "It was Ruby. She got picked as leader over me, and from then she just kept on outpacing me. I couldn't keep up with her no matter how hard I tried. She's two years younger than me and she's already so strong. I thought I'd never be able to catch up with her. But someone helped me see where I was wrong. I should see her as a goal to aspire towards. She's my leader, and she needs me to be strong to help her."

Pyrrha place a hand on her chin. "I see what you mean. I have a lot to think about. But, there is one thing I've been wondering. Who exactly is this "God" person?"

Weiss blinked. "I'm not sure myself. I encountered His servants, but I'd like to see Him for myself if I can."

"Who knows," Pyrrha replied. "Anything can happen. It's a new world out there."

Weiss smiled at Pyrrha. "Well, if you want to talk again I'll be right here."

XxX

Ruby stood in the training field and summoned her demon. Frost Ace materialized in front of her and struck a pose.

"Hee-ho! What evildoers will fall before my might, ho?"

Ruby took a deep breath and summoned her aura. She tried to look at her demon like she did the Minotaur, but nothing was working. She sighed.

"What happened last time?"

She racked her brain trying to remember what exactly happened that day. She remembered that she was worried about Yang and her friends. If she didn't kill the Minotaur then and there it would have killed everyone.

She suddenly felt a sharp pain in her eyes. She could feel something rising from deep within her. She suddenly had an idea. She focused her aura around her eyes and in the next moment words began to appear around her demon. She focused and they arranged themselves in a way that allowed her to read them.

 _Frost Ace_

 _Race: Genma_

 _Phys:_

 _Gun:_

 _Fire: Resist_

 _Ice: Null_

 _Elec:_

 _Force:_

 _Light: Null_

 _Dark: Weak_

Ruby blinked. She had done it, and it didn't even hurt as much as last time. She decided to keep training to see how long she could keep this up.

Ruby heard footsteps approaching from behind her. She turned around and her face curled into a frown.

 _Yang_

 _Race: Brute_

 _Physical: Resist_

 _Gun:_

 _Fire: Null_

 _Ice: Weak_

 _Elec:_

 _Force:_

 _Light: Weak_

 _Dark: Null_

Yang sighed. "Are you still upset?"

Ruby turned away from her without answering.

Yang looked down at her hands. She felt something had changed in her. She concentrated and a small ball of flame appeared in her palm. She closed her fists and the fire disappeared. It was weak, but she could use magic without using Dust or her Aura. She truly had become a demon.

"I'm sorry for not telling you about Raven. I didn't want to trouble you with it. I wanted us to be sisters, and I thought that if you knew it would… change things between us."

Ruby ignored her. Yang grasped her fingers and broke them with ease. Her physical strength had increased as well. She watched as her broken fingers mended themselves.

 _So I can regenerate too? Interesting_

"It's not that," Ruby said. "Your mother left you, and you've been carrying that alone all your life. Why would you think I would want that? We'll always be sisters, and nothing will ever change that."

Yang wrapped her arms around her sister. Ruby groaned in pain. Yang had gotten much stronger in the past few days.

Ruby squirmed in Yang's grip. "Ow, I think I cracked a rib."

Yang laughed. "You'll live."

"I love you."

"Love you too, Ruby."

XxX

Deery paced back and forth. It had been three weeks since anyone had seen Adam and she was beginning to panic. She tried calling him, sending out search parties, even using demons to assist in looking for him, but nothing worked. It was like he simply walked off the face of the planet.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up she saw it was the large man who acted as Adam's second in command. No one knew his real name, but he went by Wolfsbane, or Bane for short.

"You need to relax," he said.

Deery slapped his hand away. "How can I? Adam is out there somewhere. What if he got hurt, or ran into some hunters? What if a demon found him?"

Bane sighed. "How many times have we been over this? Until we hear from him we assume he's dead and carry on like normal."

"How can you just cast him aside like that? I thought he was your friend."

"This is a war. We knew that there was a chance that this could happen. If you can't handle it then you can go back to bowing and scraping for the humans."

Deery ground her teeth, but couldn't respond. He was right. They were at war. Dozens of them had died already, Adam was just one more.

A rustling sound came from the distance. Deery drew her pistol and aimed it towards the forest.

"Who's there?"

a man walked into the clearing. Despite how different he looked she recognized him instantly. His red hair had streaks of grey, his face was covered in blood, his arms and chest were crossed with scars, and he had a noticeable limp in his step. Despite how badly wounded he was, his ornate mask and his sword were in pristine condition.

Deery gasped and ran toward her leader. "Adam! Where have you been? No one's heard from you in-".

Her words were cut off by Adam placing a finger over her mouth.

"Later."

After being taken to a tent to have his wounds treated Adam told his followers where he had been. No one had believed him when he told them what he learned while he was gone.

"That's impossible," Deery said. "It's completely insane."

Adam laughed and started coughing. "That's what I thought at first, but it's the truth."

Bane seemed to take it all in stride. "That's all well and good, but what about the plan? Perhaps you forgot during your little escapade, but we have certain obligations."

Adam was silent for a moment. "We will discuss that matter tomorrow. I'd like to rest for now."

A grunt burst into the tent. "Brother Adam, that woman has returned. She seems angry."

Adam sighed and grabbed his sword. "It seems this must be addressed now."

He slowly made his way to the camp's entrance using his sword to support himself. He saw Cinder standing outside with wind swirling around her. Their eyes met and her face twisted into a scowl.

"You little worm," she growled. "I hope you have a good excuse for avoiding me. Don't forget that I could destroy all of you without even trying."

After what he had experienced Adam saw Cinder in a new light. When she came to the camp and killed his men he didn't understand how one woman could become so powerful. That lack of understanding became fear. But now he knew. He knew the source of her powers, and he knew that there were beings whose powers far exceeded hers. He even knew how to obtain that power for himself. Where once he saw a formidable enemy, he now saw a little girl throwing a tantrum.

Adam coughed into his hand. "I was away on a… personal matter. But I am glad that you're here. I think now would be a good time to renegotiate the terms of our arrangement."

Cinder's eyes glowed ominously. "Oh? What exactly did you have in mind?"

"I have no desire to serve under you any longer. I will pursue my own ends. Our deal is over."

The area surrounding Cinder burst into flames. "It's over when I say it is. Don't think I'll let you live after defying me, you worthless animal."

Adam drew his sword and the fight began.

After what seemed like hours the fight ended. Most of the camp was destroyed, though the soldiers managed to evacuate before getting caught in the battle. The ground was blackened with scorch marks, and the trees burned with flames that couldn't be put out no matter how hard they tried. The White Fang were forced to evacuate.

After finding another safe haven they took time to gather themselves. What they had witnessed would change them forever.

Adam groaned as he felt a wound open up. His victory was hard fought, but he survived to fight another day.

"What do we do now?" Deery asked.

"I want you to bring me a camera," Adam replied. "Everyone needs to know what transpired here today."

After a bit of preparation Adam stood in front of a camera. His message was being broadcast to every White Fang base on Remnant.

"My name is Adam Taurus. I am the acting leader of the White Fang's Vale faction. Recently, I found myself working with a human under threat of death. I was forced to act on their behalf, dishonoring my creed and sacrificing the lives of those who placed their trust in me. However, that ended today."

He held up Cinder's severed head and displayed it for the cameras.

"I can make no apologies for allowing myself to become someone's servant. However, I can honor their memories by carrying on their wishes. I recently went on a journey. As I ventured I discovered the truth of this world, and I realized the futility of our efforts. This world's corruption is seeped into the very foundation. Simply overthrowing the human's rule is not enough. We must tear down the pillars that hold up this world, and build a new one in its place!"

The crowd began to stir. What Adam was suggesting was far beyond what they had signed up for.

Adam noticed the hesitation in the audience. "I understand that many of you may be reluctant, but remember why you joined the cause. Remember the abuse, the indignity, the denial of your basic humanity. If you follow me, I can create a world where we can live in peace, free from the oppression of humans. But in order to obtain that peace, we must spill blood like we never have before. In order to reach paradise we must journey through hell. We can prevail. We have the power, and there is nothing and no one that can stand in our way. Will you join me?"

The audience erupted in applause and cheers. Adam took a short bow.

"I hope those listening will make the correct decision. I will contact you again when it is time to act."

Deery turned off the camera. "That was quite the speech."

Bane laughed. "Boy always had a way with words. So what are we gonna do now?"

Adam sat down in a chair. "We continue where we left off. Continue gathering resources and prepare for our assault on Beacon."

"I thought attacking Beacon was that woman's plan. Why should we even bother?"

"Because Beacon has something that we need, and there's someone there I need to see."

Bane shrugged. "I don't care either way, long as I get to kill something. But, is it all right if I take a little detour?"

"For what?" Adam implored.

"Sending out our new mission statement. You weren't the only one to go out on a little journey, and I've got a demon that'll get me anywhere I need to go. Besides, I think it's time I settled an old score."

Adam sighed. "As long as you don't forget the mission. The sun will soon set on the world of man, and we will be the ones to usher in the new world."

He looked down in his hand at the gem Cinder had on her. He could feel the power pulsating within it. Everything he desired would soon be in his grasp

* * *

 **AN:** I think this story might end up a lot shorter than I thought at first, maybe. Either way I hope you keep reading, or don't it's up to you


	21. Bonds

Ruby and her friends made their way to class. Today marked the first day of the shift in education that Beacon's staff had implemented. From this day forward they would learn how to more effectively fight demons.

The students slowly filed into Professor Port's class. Looking at the blackboard there was a diagram of different elements and how they interact with each other. There were also newspaper clippings of stories about demon attacks throughout Vale.

Ruby looked around the room and saw Jaune and Pyrrha sitting in the seats behind her. No one had seen Ren or Nora since the day Mara appeared.

"Have you heard from them yet?" Ruby whispered.

Jaune shook his head. "They're not answering any calls, and none of the other students know where they went."

Pyrrha tried to be optimistic. "They're still in Vale, at least. They're bound to turn up eventually."

Jaune sighed. "I guess. I just wish I could talk to them. I'm supposed to look out for them but they're still shutting me out."

"Everyone has something they'd rather not talk about. They'll come back when they're ready."

Professor Port loudly cleared his throat and the class went silent. He looked much more serious than normal. That put the students on edge. Usually he had a positive air about him, even when he was throwing his students into danger.

Port looked around at the class as he addressed them. "As you all know, our school suffered an assault by the demons recently. As a result several of our students, your friends, lost their lives. Afterwards, several more decided to leave school and return home to be with their families, or what remained of them. You all, however, have chosen to stay. That tells me that you are willing to fight. I won't lie to you, the battles you will soon face will not become any easier, and many of you will lose your lives. But you will give your lives for the good of your kingdom, which is the highest honor a hunter can achieve. Today marks a new day for all of you. You will begin a new curriculum, designed to better prepare you for fights against the demons. You will learn to use your demons' abilities to their fullest potential."

A low murmur went through the room. The students all looked at each other. There were a few who looked almost afraid, but others looked positively excited.

Port scanned the room. "The first thing we are going to cover is how to more effectively use your demon partners. Many of you have failed to bring out their true power. To that end, I would like one of you to come down for a demonstration."

A low murmur went through the room. The students looked at each other, none of them moving. It seemed that no one would be willing to volunteer, until a hand shot up.

Professor Port smiled. "Very good, Miss Rose. If you would."

Ruby went down to the floor. She stood in front of her teacher wondering what he intended to teach.

Port grabbed his scroll and summoned his demon. Appearing before him was a leopard that stood on its hind legs. It held two long swords and had a green cape draped across its shoulders.

Ruby's eyes throbbed as new information flowed into her brain.

 _Ose_

 _Fallen race_

"There are two aspects of demon combat that you must learn to use effectively," Professor Port said. "The first is how to effectively use certain abilities." He gestured toward Ruby. Ose drew his sword and let out a loud roar. At that moment a dark blue orb enveloped Ruby's body before breaking apart.

Ruby examined her body but didn't find anything wrong. She gave her teacher a quizzical look.

Port chuckled. "It seems you don't understand what just happened. Perhaps a demonstration is in order."

The back of Port's fist slammed across Ruby's face. It hurt. It hurt worse than anything she had ever felt. She didn't understand it. She could definitely remember being hit much harder than this, but that simple blow felt like it would split her face in two.

Port looked down at Ruby. "What I have just done is reduce your effectiveness in combat. A slight reduction in your defensive abilities caused this result. I noticed many of you use such skills to augment your own abilities, but it is also important to hinder your opponents as well. A simple spell is enough to bridge what might seem like an unbridgeable gap."

Up in the stands Jaune nodded in agreement. He had used similar spells to assist his team in battle. He hastily jotted down notes, making sure to remind himself to fuse more versatile demons.

port addressed the class again. "Proper application of your demon's abilities may spell the difference between life and death. However there is another matter that must be addressed: your fear."

The low buzz of conversation filled the room.

Port laughed. "It seems that some of you are confused by what I mean."

At that word, Ose drew his swords and swung at Ruby's neck faster than she could react to. The blades stopped short of removing her head. The cold steel scraped against her neck. Ruby gasped, her face breaking out into a sweat. She was completely frozen, unable to lift a finger.

Port sighed as he looked at Ruby. "Fear has completely taken hold of you. That is unfortunate. The foes you will face in the future will be far more frightening than a mere Ose. That will be the basis for your ongoing and never ending education. We will purge the fear from your minds, until you can face any foe without hesitation. Now then, let us continue the lesson."

xXx

After the day's lessons had ended Team RWBY along with Jaune and Pyrrha took a moment to rest in Team RWBY's dorm.

Pyrrha wound bandages around Jaune's arm.

"Ow, not so hard." Jaune complained. "The teachers really hate taking it easy on us."

All of the students were covered in cuts and bruises after their grueling training. They were thrust into fight after fight with barely any rest. If they showed even the slightest hesitation they were sent into even fiercer battles.

Ruby held an ice pack against her swollen cheek. "It wasn't anything we aren't used to. I got something out of it at least."

Ruby jumped at the chance for further training. She knew that her eyes would be the deciding factor in future battles, and she'd be a fool not to learn to use them as soon as possible. Through her training she could analyze enemy demons on sight, learning their weaknesses in the process. She could feel that the eyes had other functions, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't discover what.

Yang laid back on her bed laughing. After fighting for the entire day she was completely unharmed. The other teachers couldn't hold a candle to her. The only one who could give her a real challenge was Glynda, though she fought with her own magic in lieu of using demons.

Yang felt a hollow feeling in her stomach. She wanted to fight more, and against more powerful enemies. Stomping foes beneath her level wasn't any fun.

"I tried calling Ren and Nora, but they wouldn't pick up."

Yang spent days wondering what she would say to Nora. Despite knowing her for so long she knew next to nothing about her. That day in the infirmary was the first time Nora had said anything about her past. Yang wondered how much of Raven Nora saw in her. Did she think that Yang was just like her mother? Was there a doubt in the back of her mind? Did she think that Yang was heading down the same path?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Ruby got up to open it and saw Ren and Nora on the other side.

Ruby gasped. "Nora? Where have you been?"

Nora let out a nervous chuckle. "Hey guys."

Ren pushed her inside and walked in behind her. Nora sat on a bed next to Ruby, feeling eyes all over her.

"Where have you been?" Jaune asked.

Nora sighed. "I've been in the city. I'm sorry I worried you, but I needed some time to think. A lot has happened and my head was a mess for a bit."

Nora looked up at Yang. She felt a tightness in her chest. She shook her head vigorously.

"I never told anyone what I did before I came to Beacon. I grew up in a small village. I had a family, friends, a life. It was alright. Then one night I woke up and the entire village was on fire. Raven and her bandits came and started killing people. My parents, my friends, everyone I knew was dead. Raven took everything from me in one night. If I hadn't met Ren I don't know what I would have done."

The room was deathly quiet. The other students looked at each other, searching for the right words. None came.

Nora took a deep breath and kept talking.

"Yang, you're nothing like Raven. I know that. I know that you'd never do what she's done, but I saw those eyes and all I could think of was her. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Yang hopped down from the bed and wrapped Nora up in a tight embrace.

"You don't have to apologize."

The other students joined in on the hug.

"It must have been hard," Jaune confided. "But you don't have to take it all on by yourself."

"We're your friends," Pyrrha added. "You're like our family. We'll always be there for you. If you feel like you can't stand it alone, you can rely on us."

Nora relaxed in her friends' embrace. She felt closed her eyes and sighed with relief. She couldn't remember the last time she felt like this.

Her moment of peace was interrupted by another violent earthquake. This one was even longer than the last. The girls were thrown from their beds as their belongings fell from the shelves and crashed into the floor. Once the shaking had stopped a chime played from their scrolls.

"A new Sector has appeared," a voice said.

"It has been a while since the last one," Blake observed.

Yang sighed. "And here I thought I'd get more time to relax. Oh well."

Ruby looked at her scroll. This Sector had appeared near Mistral.

"We'll head out in the morning."

XxX

Once they had everything prepared the two teams were on their way to the hangar.

"I wonder what this Sector will be?" Yang asked.

Weiss shuddered. "As long as its not another hospital."

"Maybe it'll be a beach, or maybe a nice little cottage," Nora said, excitedly.

"That's not happening. It's gonna be another dungeon filled with demons that all wanna eat us," Jaune complained. .

Pyrrha gently nudged Jaune's shoulder. "Don't be like that. We're more than capable of handling anything we find."

"I hope your confidence is not misplaced," Ozpin interjected.

The other students jumped. Ozpin seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Nonplussed, Ozpin took a sip from his mug. "It's good that I caught you. I'm glad to see you well, Ms Valkyrie."

Nora's face turned a slight pink. "Thanks. Did you need something?"

"As a matter of fact I did. I received a communication from a village a fair distance from Vale. I had planned to send Team RWBY on this mission, but the appearance of the next Sector waylaid those plans. However, you are the the next most capable team, so the task will fall to you."

"Hooray for second place," Ren said.

Jaune elbowed Ren in the side. "Anyway, what do you want us to do, Professor?"

"Nothing complex, just travel to the village and rout the demons that have taken it over. I've already sent the coordinates to your scroll."

Ruby raised her hand. "I understand that this is important, but I'd feel a lot more comfortable with Team JNPR coming with us. Or at least another team."

Ozpin smiled. "No need to worry about that. General Ironwood has already dispatched one of his agents to the Sector. He says that they can easily fill the role of an entire team."

"Wow, they must be really strong," Blake said.

Weiss placed a hand on her chin. There was a chance that the person Ironwood sent was her sister, but she didn't want to get her hopes up.

"If the general says that they're reliable, then we'll trust them."

"Very good," Ozpin said. "I with you all success with your respective missions."

After travelling to the hangar the two teams prepared to board their airships.

"You guys stay safe," Ruby said.

Jaune shrugged. "We're just doing a quick in and out. It's you guys I'm worried about. It takes guts to march into the enemy stronghold over and over."

Blake sighed. "I'd be lying if I said it got easier, but it's not like we have a choice."

Yang nudged Blake with her elbow. "Don't be such a downer. We're gonna be fine."

"See, Yang's got the right idea," Nora said.

Jaune waved Team RWBY goodbye. "See you guys when you get back."

Ruby waved back. "You too."


	22. Child

Team JNPR's airship landed in a clearing near the village. The hunters exited the ship and began their trek to the village that requested help.

Their trek through the forest was uneventful. They could hear animals and demons in the distance, but they kept their distance.

Nora stretched out as she walked. "Nothing like a nice, relaxing walk through the woods."

Ren shook his head. "We're not traveling for leisure. We have a job to do."

"Nora's right," Pyrrha said. "It is nice to relax sometimes. We've definitely had worse times in a forest."

Nora nodded. "Yeah, I still remember the initiation; getting hurled off a cliff down into a forest filled with…"

Nora suddenly grabbed her head, which began to throb painfully.

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked.

Nora shook her head. "Nothing, I'm fine."

Nora tried to think of what she meant to say, but drew a blank. It was more than just forgetting. She felt like there was a hole in her brain where that information should be. She decided to push that out of her mind for now.

They continued their journey, though no one noticed at first that their trek was taking longer than it should have. After walking for thirty minutes the village didn't seem any closer at all.

"How far away is this village anyway?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune looked at his scroll. The village was only a few miles from where they landed, but they couldn't see it on the horizon. Jaune scratched his head in confusion. He looked around and saw that he was surrounded on all sides by a thick fog that obscured everything but the path before him. Jaune wrapped a hand around his sword handle.

"Where did this fog come from?" Nora asked.

The fog had appeared instantaneously. In less than a second they were surrounded by a thick, grey mist too thick to see through.

Ren sighed. "At least we can still see the path. Let's keep going and try to avoid getting lost."

They kept walking, but still didn't get any closer to the village. The complete lack of sound from the forest put them on edge. There was no telling what might appear form the fog. They heard a rustling in the nearby forest and something jumped out in front of them. The four hunters jumped back before realizing that it was just an ordinary rabbit. It had white fur and brown eyes. At a glance it didn't appear to be a demon. No one could feel any power from it.

"It's a bunny!" Nora shouted with a large grin. She ran toward it with her arms outstretched, but the rabbit turned around and ran away.

"Aw," Nora whined.

"Wait, come back!" a voice shouted. The four hunters turned around to see a young girl running toward them. She stopped, running out of breath. She slumped over and panted with exhaustion.

The girl had long blond hair and yellow eyes. She was wearing a plain blue dress with a white sash around her waist. The others relaxed, sensing that this was just an ordinary girl.

Jaune walked up to the girl. "Are you okay? What are you doing out here?"

The girl looked up at Jaune with tears in her eyes. "I'm trying to find my pet rabbit. I must have left my door open and it got out. If I don't find him my mother will be very upset with me."

Jaune put on a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we'll help you find your pet."

"What's your name, kiddo?" Nora asked.

The girl wiped her eyes. "Alice. Thank you so much for helping me."

Jaune took the girl by the hand. "No problem. Helping people is our job after all."

The five of them traveled down the path searching for Alice's rabbit. They tried their best to pierce through the fog, but they couldn't see through the thick grey wall that surrounded them.

"Do you live nearby?" Jaune asked.

Alice nodded. "My home isn't far from here, but I don't want to go home."

Pyrrha frowned slightly. "Why not?"

Alice began to shiver. "A horrible demon lives in my village. He says he'll hurt everyone if he doesn't get what he wants. No one can stand up to him."

Jaune smiled. "Don't worry. My friends and I are really strong. We'll take care of that demon for you."

Alice was beaming. "Really? Thank you so much?"

After much walking they found their way to a clearing, with the white rabbit in the center.

Alice ran toward her pet. She scooped it up in her arms and squeezed it tight.

"There you are. I was so worried about you. You shouldn't run away like that," she chided.

The rabbit squeaked in response. Its nose twitched as Alice rubbed its head.

Alice smiled at the rabbit. "I love you. Won't you die for me?"

A chill went through the air. Alice pulled a knife from her dress and stabbed into the rabbit's stomach. Its white fur was stained with blood. Alice reached inside the wound and pulled out a small, beating heart. She gazed upon it with a slight smile.

The other hunters felt sick. They had been lead into a trap.

Alice looked at the hunters with a wide smile. "Thank you very much for helping me. I am quite grateful." She began to slowly walk towards them. "Now, won't you die for me?"

Jaune drew his sword. "Not a chance."

Alice frowned at him. "Oh, that's a shame." The ground beneath them shook, and the air became thick with a dark miasma.

"What is this girl?" Pyrrha asked through gritted teeth.

To answer her question, an alarm blared from the hunters' scrolls.

"Warning, an extremely dangerous demon has been detected. Evacuate the area immediately."

Alice raised her hand. The four hunters leapt away before a bolt of lightning destroyed the ground beneath them.

Jaune, and Ren each summoned their demons. Ren's Sarasvati began to strum on her sitar. The bodies of the hunters were enveloped in a green light. Jaune's Uzume waved her fan and sent dozens of enchanted papers at Alice. They wrapped around the girl's body, but burst into flame when they touched her skin. Alice had a slight frown on her face.

"That won't work on me."

Nora aimed her grenade launcher at Alice and pulled the trigger. The explosive struck the demon in the face, but did zero damage. Nora fired again, but Alice caught the grenade and let it explode in her hand. While standing in a cloud of pink smoke Alice felt something hard strike her under her chin, sending her airborne. Ren grabbed her by the hair and slammed her into the ground. He enveloped his fist in his aura and drove it into her face. Ren winced at the pain in his hand. Alice looked into Ren's eyes and sent a chill up his spine. He jumped back to his friends. Although he didn't know it at the time, he had narrowly avoided death.

Alice rose from the ground and brushed the dirt off of her dress.

"You try so hard to live. Do you hate me that much?"

She snapped her fingers and a transparent orb appeared around the four hunters before shattering. The green energy that surrounded their bodies disappeared.

"What was that?" Nora asked.

"She nullified the _Sukukaja,_ " Jaune observed. "She's not making this easy."

Alice snapped her fingers again and three differently colored orbs appeared in the sky and fell to the ground, sending waves of energy in every direction. The four hunters suddenly felt sluggish and weak. They didn't have the strength to lift their weapons. Their bodies felt like lead. It hurt to breathe.

Nora dropped her hammer. "What's happening?"

Jaune tried to answer her question, but saw Alice throw her knife at him. Raising his shield would take too much time, so he dropped to the ground as the knife sailed over his head. It embedded itself in a tree, splitting it in half.

Pyrrha activated her semblance, levitating her spear and sending it flying towards Alice's head. The girl dodge to the side, the spear's tip grazing her cheek. A thin line of blood appeared. Alice ran a finger along her cheek and grinned.

"It seems there's one of you that's worth something. I'll kill you last."

Alice brought down another bolt of lightning. Jaune raised his shield and channeled his aura into it. The bolt crashed into the barrier, sending shocks through Jaune's arms. He let them drop to the side, unable to lift them.

Alice looked up at Jaune. "Won't you die for me?"

A thick, heavy darkness slowly enveloped Jaune's body. It wrapped around him, covering every inch of him. His teammates watched in horror as their leader was consumed by it.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted, tears in her eyes.

Alice started to laugh. "It's no use. He's already dead."

The darkness faded away, revealing a shivering Jaune. His arms were wrapped around his body and his teeth were chattering.

"Oh man that's cold."

"You're alive!" Nora shouted.

Jaune sucked in air. "What was that? It felt like someone was trying to rip my soul out."

Alice ground her teeth together. "That's impossible. Did I make a mistake?"

She fired a wave of darkness toward Jaune. Jaune shrieked and raised his hands to guard himself. The wave parted around him and passed by harmlessly. Jaune blinked, patting himself down to make sure he wasn't dead.

"It doesn't work on you," Alice observed. Her face twisted into a frown. "I'm bored now."

Alice opened a hole in the air and left. As she departed, the thick fog that surrounded the hunters disappeared.

Jaune moved his fingers. The weight holding down his body was gone. He grabbed his sword and put it in the sheath.

"Everybody okay?"

"I'm fine," Nora replied. "I think Ren passed out."

She nudged Ren with her foot. Ren grumbled and slowly rose to his feet.

He stretched and yawned. "I was enjoying that nap."

Pyrrha looked over her body checking for injuries. "This might be the first time we've fought a demon without getting injured."

"I guess we got lucky," Jaune said. "I wonder who that girl was?"

Jaune's Pixie emerged from his scroll. Her face was beaded with sweat.

"That was a Fiend. I have no idea how you survived against her."

"What's a Fiend?" Pyrrha asked.

"The fiends are legends even among demons. They're some of the most powerful demons to ever exist. God's angels and the Legions of Chaos, neither of them want to fight the Fiends."

"So what was one doing just walking around?" Nora asked.

"I don't know," Pixie responded. "Even among the Fiends, Alice is special. They say that she's a human who became a demon."

"That makes sense," Jaune said. "She kind of reminded me of one of my sisters."

Nora looked over at Jaune. "Really?"

Jaune ignored the puzzled looks his teammates were giving him. "Yeah, my little sister Ciel. She's a real sweetheart, but she's not allowed to hold scissors anymore. It's actually a funny story."

"I'd love to hear that," Ren interrupted. "But we've still got a job to do."

Denied the chance to share another Arc family anecdote, Jaune sighed and continued toward the village.

Pixie flew into the sky. "I can see a village up ahead."

"Good job, Pixie," Jaune said.

They arrived in the village shortly after. It was an average sized settlement, with various houses and shops. The people were all downcast, unable to meet the eyes of the hunters. There were villagers that looked well into adulthood, while others looked to be middle aged. They heard various sounds as they traveled through the village: people fighting, arguing, crying. Looking around there was something missing, but no one said it out loud. Jaune looked at his teammates, their expressions told him that they had realized what he did as well.

The four of them went to the largest building in the village. They opened the doors and saw a wiry looking man sitting at a desk. He was poring over a stack of documents when the door opened.

"You must be the hunters I asked for," he said.

Jaune nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm Jaune Arc, leader of Team JNPR of Beacon."

The man rose from his seat. "I've been expecting you. I'm the mayor of this village. We've recently come into a bit of trouble, and I'd like you to help out. A demon has taken over nearby home, and I'd like you to eliminate it."

"That's what we're here for," Pyrrha said.

"Very good. I wish you success on your mission."

The four left the mayor's office and looked for the Domain.

"Jaune," Ren began.

Jaune cut Ren off. "I know, but I'm not sure yet. Let's just find the demon for now."

Ren sighed. Nora placed a hand on his shoulder. The four hunters made the rest of their journey in silence.

Finding the domain was easy. It was in a small shed near the edge of the village. The four hunters opened the door and were greeted by the familiar sight of writhing grey tentacles. Even near the entrance they could feel the malevolent power of the domain's master.

"Let's just get this over with," Jaune said.

 _Mission: Village Purification has been accepted_


	23. Mine

Ruby and her teammates traveled through the ravaged warzone. Despite how much time had passed the distant battle raged on. The distant sounds of gunfire and explosions echoed through the night.

They made their way to the bottom floor and saw that there was a second door next to the one they traveled through before. Ruby turned the knob and went through.

They were greeted by the same sight as before: complete and utter darkness that blocked even their own limbs from sight. They slowly made their way forward in a single file line. Their footsteps echoed on the ground, but that was the only information they received. There was no wind, no scent, and no other sounds.

"I wonder why it's so dark here?" Weiss asked. The steady clacking of her heels was only a small reassurance. If the floor were to open up beneath her a second time she'd at least like to see it coming.

Blake's ears twitched in every direction. "Who knows? There's no one here besides us. It's kind of creepy."

Yang stayed silent. She looked around at her surroundings. They were walking down a path that looked as if it were made of glass. Beneath their feet was a river that ran with a reddish water. The walls of the cavern were red and pulsating. The sky was red and glittered with golden stars. Yang could also see what looked like powerful demons roaming the area, some of them looking far too close for comfort. Yang reached a hand out and felt her fingers press against a wall. The four girls were in a closed off space, isolated from whatever this place was.

Yang wondered why she was able to see what her teammates couldn't. but, at the same time she was grateful that no one else could see what she could. Some of the demons in this place gave her the same feeling she got when she met Mara, like fingers digging into her soul.

Up ahead she could see a wall with a door in the center. Yang walked ahead of her teammates and placed her hand on the wall. The wall opened up and a blinding white light flooded the area.

"Wonder what's on the other side,  
Ruby mused. The four hunters braced themselves as they walked into the next Sector.

They looked up at a blue sky and several mountains in the distance. They stood outside the mouth of a cave with cart tracks coming out of it. There were speakers lined along the walls of the cavern, and they could hear the sounds of metal striking stone.

The speakers crackled to life and a pleasant-sounding female voice spoke up.

"This is a reminder that failure to meet quarterly standards will result in immediate execution. Failure to maintain efficient work speeds will also result in execution. We hope you enjoy your stay at the Belial Dust Company."

"So, the boss's name is Belial. Good to know," Ruby observed.

"Where should we start looking?" Yang asked. She turned and saw Weiss and Blake frozen in place. Weiss's eyes were wide with shock, while Blake was looking at the ground, her hands balled into fists.

"You guys alright?" Yang asked.

Blake sighed. "I hoped I'd go the rest of my life without seeing another dust mine."

"I've never actually seen one of these before," Weiss admitted. "I had no idea what they did to the workers."

"It's a bit exaggerated, I'm sure," Ruby said.

"Not by much," Blake spat.

"We can talk all about it later," Yang said. "Let's get moving."

Ruby readied her weapon and walked into the cave. Her teammates followed behind her.

The cave walls were lined with lanterns to help the miners see. there was discarded mining equipment on the ground. Ruby knelt down and saw that there was blood on the ground. She ran a finger along the ground and discovered the blood was fresh.

The four walked into a wider area in the mine. There were people all over with shackles around their feet and neck. Demons stood around keeping watch over the workers.

A heavy object crashed onto the ground. The girls ran ahead and saw that a cart filled with Dust crystals had tipped over. A man was on the ground clutching at his ankle.

"Get back to work!" a demon shouted.

The man groaned in pain. "I think it's broken."

"I don't want to hear your excuses!" the demon screeched. It attacked with its claws, but the attack stopped short. Yang had grabbed onto the demon's arm.

"That's enough," she said.

The demon scowled. "You smell like a demon. Why are you helping these humans?"

"Because I can," Yang retorted. She tightened her grip on the demon's arm until she felt bones breaking. The demon howled in pain. Yang punched into the demon's head and it stopped moving. She let it drop to the ground and it faded away.

Weiss ran to the downed man and summoned her Angel. The Angel cast healing magic on the man's leg and he could move it again.

The man sighed in relief. "Thank you," he said. "Who are you?"

Ruby helped the man to his feet. "We're hunters from Beacon. What is all this?"

"I don't know. One minute I'm at home the next minute everyone's in here. What is this place anyway?"

The man began coughing violently. He put a hand over his mouth. When he pulled it back, he could see blood in his hand.

Ruby recalled Stephen's words about the Sectors. Humans couldn't survive in the demon realm. This raised too many questions.

"How long have you been here?" Blake asked.

The man thought for a second. "It's been months. They make us work 20 hours a day. They said they need it for the war effort."

Ruby smiled at the man. "Don't worry. We'll make sure you're all freed."

Blake's ears twitched. "I hear something."

The four girls went down a tunnel and heard an explosion. The walls shook as dust filled the air. There were more sounds; blades slashing through the air, and bodies falling to the ground. The girls ran towards the source of the noise and found themselves staring at a battle in progress.

The fight was between a single girl and a horde of demons. The girl expertly dodged swords, clubs, and claws and attacked with her floating swords. She cut down foe after foe without getting hit. The blades spun around her body, and in the next instant the room was littered with bodies that dissolved seconds later.

The floating blades folded in on themselves and floated into the girl's backpack.

"Hey, isn't that," Yang began before she was interrupted.

"Penny!" Ruby shouted. She ran towards her friend and threw her arms around her.

"Salutations, friend Ruby. It is good to see you again."

"What are you doing here?"

"General Ironwood asked me to investigate the Sector."

"He didn't send anyone else with you?" Weiss asked.

Penny smiled proudly. "I alone am more than enough. There's no need for concern."

"Figured anything out?" Yang asked.

Penny's eyes glowed green for a brief moment. "I have detected faint signs of demonic energy in all of the miners. Beyond that I haven't detected any anomalies."

Weiss's shoulder began to ache. There was something wrong here, but she couldn't quite pin it down.

A loud horn rang in the mines. The girls heard the sounds of shuffling feet. The workers all marched in the same direction. One of the workers recognized the girls from earlier. He smiled and waved at them.

"What's going on?" Ruby shouted.

"Break time," the man replied.

Ruby shrugged and got in line with the rest of the humans, the others following behind her.

After a bit of walking they found themselves in a wide-open space. There were tables where the workers sat with their food. Off to the side was a longer table covered in pots. A demon stood behind the table dispensing food.

"This must be the mess hall," Blake observed.

Looking around they saw that the workers varied in age. Some were young, others old. The ones who looked like they could do the most work got more food than anyone else.

Ruby saw someone waving at her. It was the man from earlier. The five girls found a place at his table and sat down.

"Are you girls doing okay?" the man asked.

"You don't need to worry about us, we can handle ourselves," Yang reassured him.

"That's good. To be honest I feel bad about having to be saved by a bunch of kids."

"It's what we signed up for," Weiss said.

Ruby looked at the man's tray. There was a pile of meat covered in a brown sauce, two slices of bread, and a glass of water.

"Is that all you get?" she asked.

The man shrugged. "It's enough to get me through the day. Tastes awful, though."

He speared a bit of meat with his fork and brought it to his mouth. Yang's eyes widened, and her hand shot out and grabbed the man's wrist.

"Hey!" the man exclaimed.

Yang sniffed at the man's food and grimaced. "How long have you been eating this stuff?"

"Every day since I got here, why?"

"You need to stop. They've been feeding you demon meat."

"That's absurd," Weiss said.

Penny looked at the man's food. "Yang is not lying. I can detect traces of demonic energy in this food, in everyone's food."

Ruby nearly jumped out of her seat. "That's it! Humans can't survive here, so they're turning them into demons."

"What are you talking about?" Weiss asked.

"Stephen told me that the Sectors are areas in the demon world. No humans could survive here. The only reason we can even walk around is because of the Demon Summoning Program. They've been feeding these people demons, so they could work in here."

The table went deathly silent. The man pushed his tray away.

"That took away my appetite."

"Hold on," Yang said. "Remember what Mara said? Demon blood is poison to humans. How could they survive after eating this stuff?"

Ruby shook her head. "Mara was one of those Lords of whatever, she's super strong. The demons the workers have been eating are probably way weaker than that."

"But don't the demons fade away when they die?" Blake asked, "How could they be eating them."

"Demons can regenerate as long as they're not dead," Yang said. To illustrate her point, she bit off her index finger. The other watched it grow back good as new.

"That's disgusting," Weiss said.

The man laughed nervously. "So, if I stopped eating this stuff, do you think I could get better?"

Penny's eyes glowed as she looked at the man. Her face curled into a frown.

"I'm sorry, the corruption in your body has spread too far. It is irreversible. Survival has become impossible."

"Oh," the man replied. "I guess that's it then."

He slowly rose from the table and walked towards the demon dispensing food.

"What is he doing?" Blake asked.

The two began to argue, then they started shouting at each other, then the man flipped the table over. The demon roared in anger and stabbed the man through the heart with a spear.

The girls gasped. The man fell over, dead. The air around them filled with rose petals, and in the next moment Ruby had removed the demon's head from its shoulders. An alarm blared, and the room was flooded with guards.

Ruby knelt down next to the man. "Why did you do that?"

The man coughed up blood. "It was gonna happen eventually, so why not now?"

The man closed his eyes and went limp.

Ruby's body shook, but before she could move she felt something grip her shoulder.

"Cool it," Yang advised. "If you fly off the handle now, we're all dead. I can see a way out, so let's head that way."

Weiss stabbed her sword into the ground, erecting massive walls of ice on either side of the group. The girls ran towards the exit, leaving the man where he lay.

They moved to a different area of the mine. Once they were sure there were no more pursuers, the girls took a moment to relax. Ruby sat against a wall and put her head in her hands. Penny looked confused as she sat down next to her.

"That man's death is troubling you greatly," she said.

Ruby sighed. "Yeah. I figure I should be used to it by now."

Penny shook her head. "It is not a small thing to see lose their life. I don't think anyone would get used to that."

"Maybe you're right. I'm just sick of people dying in front of me. I became a hunter so I could protect people, but I keep failing."

Penny looked at the ground. "I envy you."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"You are passionate, like all humans. I could never be like that. I don't need to eat or sleep, I don't get sick, and I'll never grow old. But humans do. The way they cling to life with all they have, I think it's beautiful. I wish I could be like that."

"I never thought of it like that. I'm sorry to bother you with all this."

"Oh no, it's no bother at all. I enjoy talking with you. It is nice to learn more about people."

"Thanks, Penny." She got up and looked at her scroll. "Let's get moving."

The mine was empty while the workers were on break. Both the humans and demons were nowhere to be found. The five girls travelled deeper into the tunnels, until they found a large metal door.

Their scrolls pinged, and on the map a red exclamation point appeared behind the door.

"A powerful demon has been detected."

"This is too easy," Yang remarked. She pushed the doors open and stepped inside.

As soon as they stepped inside they felt the dwelling boss's power.

Penny attempted to scan the demon. An error message appeared in her vision. "This demon's power exceeds all known parameters."

Yang smirked. "Who cares? They all die in the end."

The demon spread his wings and flew into the air, landing in front of the girls. He towered over them, his body covered in red scales from his head to his tail. He gripped a silver trident in his right hand.

The demon sighed. "Why have you come here? You must realize that you cannot defeat me. Humans are far too weak to live without guidance. Whether it be from demons or the word of God, humans are incapable of surviving on their own."

"We were doing fine before you demons came," Weiss said.

The demon's eyes narrowed. "Before we arrived? This world has always been ours."

The girls drew their weapons. The demon roared and charged into battle.

He stabbed at Ruby with his trident. Ruby sped to the side and launched herself at the demon. The blade of her scythe clashed against Belial's neck with a clang, but she couldn't pierce his scales. Ruby's brow furrowed. Something was wrong.

Weiss summoned a glyph beneath Belial and shot dozens of ice spears into his body. He called forth a massive pillar of fire and easily melted Weiss' spears. He pointed a finger at her. Weiss' eyes went wide as she jumped away, seconds before the ground she was standing on exploded.

Blake and Yang attacked in tandem, Yang leaping into the air to punch the demon's head while Blake slashed at his legs. None of their attacks worked. Yang felt a dull pain in her fists, while small cracks appeared in Blake's sword.

Ruby felt a knot in her stomach. She hoped she was wrong. Her eyes began to glow silver, and her worst fears were confirmed.

 _Belial_

 _Race: Tyrant_

 _Phys: Null_

 _Gun: Null_

 _Fire: Null_

 _Ice: Null_

 _Elec: Null_

 _Force: Null_

 _Light: Null_

 _Dark: Null_

"We can't beat him," Ruby said.

"What?" Weiss asked.

"We have to run away!" Ruby shouted as she turned to run.

Belial growled. "Do you truly think you can escape?"

He gripped his trident and thrust into Ruby's back. Ruby felt something shove her to the side and heard the shearing of metal.

Penny stood over Ruby, her right arm on the ground. Sparking wires jutted from the stump just above her elbow.

Ruby's eyes went wide. Her breath stopped. "Penny?"

Penny only smiled. "I'll cover your retreat."

"He'll kill you!" Ruby pleaded.

"Don't worry. I'm combat ready."

Yang ran for the door, grabbing Ruby along the way. Ruby reached a hand out with tears in her eyes.

"Penny!" she shouted as the doors closed in front of her.

Yang set Ruby down and stopped to catch her breath.

"Okay, what just happened?" Blake asked.

"That demon, it wasn't affected by any of our attacks," Weiss said.

Ruby was silent. She wanted to go back and help Penny, but she knew that was the wrong choice. Penny sacrificed herself to buy them time, Ruby had a duty to make sure it counted.

"What do we do?" Weiss asked.

"There has to be a way to beat that thing," Blake said. "We just have to find it."

Yang stretched out. "Alright, me and Blake will look on the east side, Ruby and Weiss can take the west. Call us if you find anything."

Ruby dragged herself to her feet. She decided to work fast.

"What are we even looking for?" Weiss asked.

"Something that'll help against the demon," Ruby replied.

"How do we know that we'll even find something like that?"

Ruby groaned. "We don't, but I can't just sit around and do nothing."

Weiss sighed. Ruby seemed irritated.

"Ruby," Weiss began. "That girl, I didn't see any blood coming from her. What is she?"

Ruby turned around and looked directly at Weiss. "She's an ordinary girl."

Weiss shivered. She knew that she wouldn't get anything further out of her leader.

Ruby and Weiss traveled through the mine, through twisting tunnels and deep caverns, but couldn't find anything that seemed like it might help. Ruby was growing more frustrated by the second. She couldn't afford to waste any more time.

Weiss looked down at the ground. She couldn't bear to see Ruby so agitated, but there was nothing she could do. Belial was invincible, and nothing they saw in the Sector could change that. At the moment their only choice was to fight and die.

Despite everything, Weiss hoped that they would find something. She couldn't afford to die here, and she wanted to help Ruby's friend.

At that moment, Weiss heard something like wings flapping. Immediately she was reminded of the angel who had saved her, but the chances that it was him again were slim. Still, slim was better than nothing. She ran toward the source of the sound with Ruby following behind her. The two went into a room meant for storing equipment and found someone inside. Weiss felt her heart lift. She ran to the center of the room where Mastema was examining a human's body.

"Mastema," Weiss shouted.

Mastema slowly turned towards the girls. His face broke out into a smile.

"Greetings, child. It is good to see you well. Are you continuing the battle against the evil?"

Weiss nodded. "You are too kind. What brings you here?"

Mastema pointed at the dead human. "I came here to save these people, but the rot of evil has deeply infected their bodies. To remove it would only hasten their deaths. I lament my powerlessness, though I know this is merely another trial the Lord has laid out before me."

Ruby eyed the angel as she placed a hand on her weapon. "Not to sound rude or anything, but who are you?"

"Oh," Weiss said. "This is Mastema, an angel. He saved me when I was trapped in the last Sector."

Ruby nodded at Mastema. "Thanks for that. You said you were trying to heal the corruption?"

Mastema had a solemn look on his face. "Indeed, but my efforts were for naught. However, what has brought you to this land?"

"We're here to kill the demon in charge of this Sector. We tried to fight him, but none of our attacks worked on him."

"Indeed, Belial is a formidable opponent. I would expect nothing less from one of the Lords of Chaos."

Ruby and Weiss gasped.

"He's one of the Lords of Chaos?" Weiss asked. "You mean like Mara?"

"Do not lose heart, child. Belial is one of the weaker of their order. Defeating him is not impossible for you."

"Can you help us fight him?" Ruby asked.

Mastema shook his head. "That I cannot do. I would prevail in battle, but to strike at the demons directly would have grave consequences. However, I can give you the means to vanquish Belial."

"Like what?"

Mastema turned towards Weiss. "Weiss, you have proven your devotion to the Lord and spread His will. I will bestow upon you His blessing."

Weiss squirmed slightly. "I humbly accept."

Mastema gently placed his hand on Weiss' head. Weiss' body was engulfed in a blinding white light. When the light faded, Weiss looked exactly the same as before. Weiss looked at her body but found that nothing had changed.

"What just happened?" Ruby asked.

"I have bestowed upon you the first hymn. Use it to express your devotion to the Lord."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "A hymn, like a song?"

"Indeed," Mastema responded. "If you were to use it, it would be enough to strip Belial of much of his power."

"Couldn't you give her a hymn to destroy him outright?"

"I could, but its power is far beyond what a human can bear. The greatest hymn would destroy Belial, all of the corrupted humans, and Weiss."

Weiss nudged Ruby in her side. "Thank you for this. I will find a way to repay you for all you've done for me."

Mastema smiled. "I do not require compensation. Your faith is enough."

Mastema was engulfed by a pillar of light and vanished.

"Okay," Ruby began, "I guess that worked out. Let's go back and help Penny."

Ruby and Weiss hurried back to the boss room. Blake and Yang stood outside the door waiting.

"Did you guys find anything?" Blake asked.

Weiss placed her hand on her heart and smiled. "We did."

An explosion followed by a deep rumbling came from the room.

"Then let's stop standing around and help Penny," Yang urged. She walked up to the door and kicked it open. Inside the room Penny was still battling fiercely. Her weapons were less than useless, but her speed let her evade Belials attacks with ease. Belial stabbed at her with his spear, shot balls of flames at her, and created large explosions around her, but nothing landed. They were locked in a stalemate. But in the next moment, that changed.

Belial stabbed at Penny with his trident. Penny jumped to the side to dodge, but her eyes widened when she saw Belial's grin. He swiped at her while she was in midair, tearing her legs apart. Sparking wires and bits of metal littered the ground.

"Penny!" Ruby shouted as she ran to her friend.

"You have returned," Penny said.

"Don't worry, we're gonna get you out of here."

Penny didn't seem at all bothered by losing her legs. She had her usual smile on as Ruby dragged her to a far-off corner.

Ruby went for her scroll but had a thought. Whatever Weiss was about to do might affect her demons as well.

"Guys don't summon your demons," she said to her teammates.

"Why? Don't we need every advantage we can get?" Yang asked.

"Just trust me."

Belial stepped forward and glared at the hunters.

"So, you've returned. At least you will not die a coward's death. Come, break your bodies against me."

Weiss opened her mouth and a ghastly wail came out. It sounded like a song, but it wasn't in a language any of them had ever heard. Weiss didn't know the words she was singing, but she could feel the intent behind the words. It was a message to the demons, that this world belonged to God and they had no place in it.

Belial screamed in pain and fell to his knees. A wave of energy rippled over his body. Ruby gazed upon the invincible demon writhing on the ground.

Belial growled in anger. "That wretched song. You are another of God's puppets? This alone will not be enough to defeat me."

He stood up and roared. He thrust his spear at Weiss, but Yang grabbed it by the trident. Her feet dug into the ground as sweat poured down her face. With a scream she broke the trident with her hands.

Yang fell to her knees and vomited. The song was mashing her brain like hamburger. She wanted to scream.

Weiss saw Yang on the ground and started towards her, but Yang held up a hand.

"I'll be fine, you just keep singing."

Yang rose to her feet. At the same time, Belial rose into the air. He conjured a massive fireball in his hand.

Blake channeled her aura into her sword and fired a beam of energy at Belial, destroying his hand.

Belial examined his fresh stump. "Impressive. I suppose I cannot take you lightly."

He pointed his other hand downward and the ground began to break apart. The girls felt in intense heat beneath their feet. Yang grabbed Weiss and jumped onto a wall. Blake leapt into the air. A clawed finger pierced Blake's body. Her body became nothing as the real Blake ran up the demon's arm. As she stood on his shoulder she was engulfed by a stream of flames. She reappeared on the demon's head, right before she was crushed by his hand.

Blake was beginning to grow tired.

"Anybody got any ideas?"

Ruby looked around at the battlefield. The smell of melting rubber filled her nose. She got an idea, but she would only get one shot.

She crouched down and activated her semblance. She flew towards the wall and bounced off towards another. She traveled upwards springing from wall to wall until she reached the ceiling. She rocketed straight up until she appeared to be standing above Belial. She activated her semblance again and fired herself like a missile straight down. She channeled her aura into her scythe and pulled the blade back as far as it could go. She swung down with all her might and cut through the demon's head. Seizing the opportunity to slice into the demon's neck. His body began to break apart. He sighed as he saw the red cracks appear in his body.

"So, you have bested me. I am impressed. You may be strong enough to stand on your own, but I wonder if that holds true for the rest of humanity."

He exploded, and the intense heat faded away.

The four scrolls rang with that same jingle they had heard before.

"Congratulations, the Tyrant Belial can now be summoned via fusion."

Ruby dug around the ashes of Belial's body and found a gem. She had claimed the third artifact.

"So that is an artifact," Penny said.

"You know what these are?" Ruby asked.

"Not much, only that they are very important."

"Well, now we have two. Do you need us to grab your legs?"

Penny shook her head. "I have spare legs."

Ruby didn't press the issue further and went to Weiss.

"You okay?"

Weiss nodded. She opened her mouth to speak but started coughing.

Ruby chuckled. "Well, we couldn't have done it without you. Remind me to thank that Mastema if I ever see him again."

Weiss nodded in agreement. Once again, she had survived because of his help. She wondered if she would ever be able to repay him for what he's done for her.

And then there were the other humans. Even though they had defeated the demons the humans couldn't be saved. This was a victory only in name.


	24. Different

Jaune and his teammates went into the domain. The four walked in silence. The sounds of their footsteps and the writhing tentacles were the only noise they made.

Unlike the other domains they entered, this one was empty. They couldn't hear any demons in the dungeon. It was strange, but this was one of the few moments that they were able to relax.

After navigating the twisting and turning dungeon, they arrived at the door to the domain's boss. The hunters' scrolls pinged with an alarm.

 _Warning: a powerful demon has been detected._

Jaune pushed the door open and walked in. Once they were inside they saw their enemy. It had a skull for a head with a purple mushroom cap on top of it. It was wearing a black gown with an emblem of the sun on its chest and mushroom stalks growing out from its feet . it held a sword up to its chest that it regarded fondly.

Jaune looked up at the demon. "Hey."

The demon turned towards him. his empty eye sockets glowed ominously.

"I am the Black God Chernobog. Who dares to intrude upon my domain?"

"I don't care who you are. Where are the children?"

The demon sighed, making the ground shake. "You would make demands of me? You will pay with your lives for such insolence."

"I'm not gonna ask again. Where are they?"

The demon laughed. "Humans have always paid tribute to the gods. They gladly offered their children to me in order to save their own lives. However I require regular tributes. It seems that instead of offering their own lives the villagers offered yours instead."

The room went dead silent. Their worst fears had been confirmed. Ren screamed and punched the floor.

"They sacrificed their own children?" Nora asked, dumbstruck.

"Indeed. There is no need for despair, child. You will soon join them."

Ren, Jaune, and Nora summoned their demons. Jaune summoned his demon, a woman wearing an ornate red and white robe. She gave off the air of being royalty.

"Why did you summon me to this place? It is far beneath my station," Kikuri-Hime complained.

"Now's not the time," Jaune replied.

Nora's demon was more in line with her personality. It was a large beast with the head of a monkey and the body of a tiger. It had two snakes in place of a tail.

The Nue roared at Chernobog, weakening its attack power. Sarasvati strummed on her sitar, enveloping all of the fighters with a faint green light. Kikuri snapped her fingers and augmented them with a defensive spell.

Chernobog swung its sword and gouged the ground. The four hunters leapt away. Nue roared and a massive bolt of lightning crashed down onto Chernobog. The demon suffered next to no damage. It swung its sword again, but this time it unleashed a series of slashes onto the hunters. Jaune and Pyrrha raised their shields to block the attacks. Ren jumped to avoid it, but Nora took a direct hit to the stomach. She fell to one knee as her torso burned. Her vision grew blurry and she started coughing.

"Poison," she observed.

She got back up and fired a volley of grenades at the Demon. The Nue leapt at the Chernobog and slashed at its chest with its claws. The Chernobog reeled in pain and fell to the ground.

At that moment, Kikuri raised her hands into the air and summoned a large purple ball of energy. She threw the _Megido_ at the Chernobog, causing a massive explosion.

"Is it dead?" Pyrrha asked.

"What do you think?" Ren replied sarcastically.

The Chernobog rose, its body covered in burns.

"Very well. let us see how you fare in the Sea of Chaos."

He thrust his sword into the ground, sending a massive wave of energy towards the hunters. Jaune put up his shield, but was blown off his feet. It felt like he got hit by a bus. All the air was knocked out of him. he laid on the ground coughing. He looked and saw that his teammates didn't fare much better. Ren and Nora had taken a direct hit. Engorged veins ran along Nora's face as the poison in her body continued to damage her. They slowly rose to their feet. Jaune ran to Pyrrha to help her up.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Pyrrha tried to stand up, but fell to her knees and vomited blood. Her body felt like lead, and she was losing her vision. She didn't understand what was wrong. She got hit by the same attack as everyone else, but it felt like she was about to die. She couldn't summon any strength.

Jaune selected his Kikuri and selected the _Diarahan_ command. Kikuri engulfed Pyrrha in a blinding white light. When the light faded Pyrrha looked better, but she had lost consciousness.

"We have to end this now," Jaune said as he glared at the Chernobog.

Sarasvati strummed her sitar again and encased the Chernobog's sword arm in a block of ice. The Nue swiped at the demon's arm and tore it apart. The massive sword fell to the ground with a clang.

Jaune took a deep breath and channeled all of his aura into his sword. He swung it and unleashed a massive beam that flew toward the demon at light speed. It collided with the Chernobog and exploded. After the smoke cleared the Chernobog's head was gone. Its body ran with red cracks. The last thing the hunters heard before it died was the demon's echoing laughter.

Their scrolls played that same upbeat jingle

"Congratulations, the Fury Chernobog can now be summoned via fusion."

The area was engulfed in light. When the light faded they found themselves in a storage shed. Jaune went to Pyrrha to wake her up.

"Alright, I guess we're done," Ren said.

"What about Nora?" Pyrrha asked.

Nora waved her off. "I'll be fine, just need to get back to Beacon." She tried to stand tall, but slumped over and coughed.

Ren grabbed onto Nora to support her.

"There's just one thing left to do now," he said.

The four of them went back to the mayor's house. He looked up from his scroll and smiled at the hunters.

"You're back. how did the mission go?"

Jaune grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

"You let them sacrifice their children?" he growled.

The mayor put his hand up to protect his face. "What was I supposed to do? That demon wanted to kill everyone, all I did was make a small sacrifice for a long term gain."

"And it's just a coincidence that you happened to call us right when the demon wanted to kill you next, am I right?"

"What else was I supposed to do? We couldn't fight it. I had to choose between some of us or all of us."

"You chose wrong."

Jaune dropped the mayor to the ground and turned away in disgust.

"What do we do with him?" Ren asked.

Jaune shook his head. "What can we do? Arrest him? He's gonna have to live with this for the rest of his life. Come on, let's go home."

The mayor stood back up and brushed his clothes off, right before a rifle bullet ripped through his chest. He fell against the wall in shock. His eyes widened as he clutched at his chest right before another bulled blew through his head.

The hunters turned towards Pyrrha holding her smoking rifle. Her face bore no expression. She had never killed a person before, but she looked like it came naturally. In fact, there was no murder. She was just disposing of trash.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune shouted. "Why did you do that?"

"Because he was evil," Pyrrha answered.

She left without another word. The others followed behind her. The four of them went back to their Bullhead and went back to Beacon. None of them said a word the entire flight back.

When they landed they saw Team RWBy exiting another Bullhead. Yang had a what looked like a girl's upper body slung over her shoulder.

Jaune waved at them. "Hey guys, how was your mission?"

Ruby looked over at Jaune. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"hey, me neither."

XxX

The next day, after handing off the Artifact to Ozpin and turning over Penny's body to Ironwood, the students enjoyed a moment of downtime.

Yang sat on the roof and looked at the sky. She felt strange. Yesterday her body was covered in burns, but today she was perfectly fine. She had forsaken her humanity, but didn't feel that bad about it.

A door opened behind her. Yang could sense that it was Blake.

"Hey," she greeted.

Blake sat down next to Yang. "You know, this is my spot."

Yang laughed. "It's mine now." She saw Blake smiling and relaxed.

"Hey, Blake? Are you okay?"

Blake blinked. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, that whole time in the mine you were really quiet, and not your regular kind of quiet, it was like you were angry about something. What's up?"

Blake let out a heavy sigh. "Am I that obvious? But yeah, you're right. I told you I used to be part of the White Fang, but I never told you what I did back then. I had this friend, named Adam. He was like my older brother. For years I worked with him. We fought together. We did a lot of bad things, but we did it to help our people. I stayed with the White Fang because I believed that our actions were for the greater good."

"So what changed?" Yang asked.

"Adam did. I didn't see it at first it happened so slowly. He killed someone on a mission. He did it to save one of our comrades. I didn't think anything of it then, but it just got easier for Adam to kill. At first it was self-defense, then it was accidents, and after a while he just stopped caring about the why. He killed people because he enjoyed it. There was one day, we were hijacking a train," she ignored the way Yang's eyes widened, "Adam had the whole thing rigged to explode. It would have killed everyone on it. Soldiers, conductors, innocent people. That was when I knew I had to leave. I couldn't be a part of that anymore."

Yang looked at Blake like she was seeing her for the first time. "That's a lot to take in, but where are you going with it?"

"The other day, in the mines, I saw those people in chains, being beaten, exploited, murdered. I thought it was horrible, and I wanted to help them, but in some deep, dark part of my mind I thought 'now you know what it's like'. I feel horrible."

Yang ran a hand through her hair. "At least you felt something. Maybe it's because I'm not human anymore, but I didn't feel anything in there. I'm way more horrible. All those people are going to die, and I just don't care. I'm no different than your friend."

At those words Blake stood up and threw herself off the roof. Yang scrambled the edge and watched Blake plummet to the ground.

"Blake!" she shouted. She felt a hard slap on the back of her head. Blake was standing behind her stifling a laugh.

Yang stood up, her eyes red. "What part of that was funny?"

Blake smirked. "See, you do feel things. Hold on to that. It doesn't matter if you're a demon. As long as you still care about _something_ , you'll be fine."

Yang sat back down and pouted. "Don't scare me like that again, you dumb cat."

Blake sat next to Yang and leaned on her shoulder. "Don't call me dumb. I have better grades than you."

Yang laughed at Blake's joke. She looked up at the setting sun.

"Thanks."

"For what?" Blake asked.

"For being my friend."

XxX

Ruby sat at a desk in her room repairing her weapon. Her scythe had taken a serious beating since the demon invasion began. She had it disassembled and made a list of which parts needed replacing. There most pressing issue was the blade. It was badly nicked and covered in small dents.

"I need a weapon that can stand up to the demons."

She leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. She wondered how much longer she'd have to keep fighting. They had secured two artifacts. One was in the wind, and the last one had yet to appear. But what would happen once all four were gathered? Ozpin wasn't willing to share what they did just yet.

Ruby had noticed a change in the headmaster's demeanor since the invasion began. He was reserved, and rarely showed emotion. He projected the image of a wise leader, but now he looked weary. At times he looked downright sad.

Ruby wondered why she was so occupied with her headmaster. Stephen's words from before popped into her head. Ozpin said that he didn't know Stephen, but Stephen knew him. Ruby wondered what it all meant.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. The door opened and Jaune walked in and sat down on a bed.

"Hey Jaune," Ruby said.

"Hey."

Jaune looked down at the floor.

"Is something wrong?" Ruby asked.

Jaune sighed. "Yeah. something happened while I was out on my last mission, I'm just trying to wrap my head around it."

Jaune told Ruby about what happened in the village. He told her about the children, the mayor, and what Pyrrha did.

Ruby gasped when he described how Pyrrha gunned a man down in cold blood.

"How are Ren and Nora doing?" she asked.

"Same as always. I never really understood those two, they just do their own thing most of the time. But Pyrrha, she's my best friend. I thought I knew her, but she's turning into a completely different person right in front of me. She killed that man and forgot about him the next day. What am I supposed to do about that?"

"I don't know," Ruby replied.

Jaune laid back on the bed. "It's okay. Maybe I can talk to her." Jaune got up from the bed. As he turned to leave something caught Ruby's eye.

"Jaune, wait."

Jaune stopped, looking puzzled. Ruby looked at the pieces of armor that adorned Jaune's upper body. She saw that there were symbols carved into all of them. Across the chest was a series of strange letters. Ruby recognized it as the same demonic language that she had seen before. She activated her silver eyes and was able to read them.

 _Thou shalt not fear the dark_

"Jaune, did you carve that into your armor?"

Jaune cocked his head to the side. "Carve what? I don't see anything."

"How long have you had that armor?"

"Decades. It belonged to my grandfather. Why do you ask?"

"Just thinking about something."

Jaune shrugged and left the room. Ruby rubbed her temple. Something wasn't right. There were too many things that didn't add up, but Ruby had no idea what it meant.

She had a sinking feeling that things weren't going to get any clearer from here on.


	25. Nerves

When Ruby woke up the next morning, she found that there was no one in the room other than her. She walked into the hall and saw students milling about and playing with their demons. She ignored them and went to look for her teammates.

She went outside the school and looked around. Her friends weren't anywhere nearby. As she walked she heard something familiar. She hurried toward the sound and found Weiss. She was standing on top of a box singing in front of a crowd. She was speaking in that same strange language she used in the mine. Even so, Ruby could understand the gist of what she was saying. It was a song about the blessings God had given His people, that even these current hardships are merely temporary.

The audience was enthralled. No one could take their eyes off of Weiss. Some of them had tears streaming down their face. Weiss had a beautiful voice, and the language she spoke made it sound otherworldly. Soon, Weiss finished her song and the audience broke into applause. Weiss did a short curtsy and stepped off of the box.

Ruby ran up to Weiss and wrapped her up in a hug that lifted her up off the ground. "Wow, that was amazing!"

Weiss struggled to break free. "Let me go, you oaf."

Ruby laughed and dropped Weiss. "Where did you learn to sing like that? That was beautiful."

Weiss puffed up with pride. "I've been singing most of my life. My father would often host parties and ask me to entertain his guests. It was fun, for a while. But I haven't had the chance to sing since I came here."

"You should definitely sing more often. But wait, that was a different song than the one Mastema taught you."

Weiss smiled. "I'm not sure how it happened, but ever since Mastema taught me the hymn I've been able to speak the angels' language. I've been writing my own songs."

Ruby's eyes went wide. "Wow, you're a songwriter too?"

Weiss scoffed. "Of course I am. I've been writing my own songs for years."

"Maybe we could make a song together."

"How about we don't?"

Ruby pouted. "Fine. Have you seen Blake and Yang?"

Weiss shook her head. "They were gone when I woke up. Have you tried calling them?"

Ruby's face went red. "Of course I tried calling them. What, do you think I'm some kind of idiot?"

Weiss opened her mouth to answer when Ruby put her hand up.

"That was rhetorical!" Ruby shouted.

Weiss snorted with laughter. She stopped herself as her face turned red.

Ruby gasped. "Did you just laugh?"

Weiss turned away from her. "Of course not. Don't be ridiculous."

Ruby grinned. "Oh, you don't have to be embarrassed. I made you laugh, admit it."

"I was right, you are an idiot. If there's nothing else you need, I'll be on my way."

"We'll talk later, okay?"

Weiss left without saying a word. As she left a thought crossed Ruby's mind. She activated her eyes and scanned Weiss.

 _Weiss Schnee_

 _Human_

Ruby sighed in relief. At the very least her hunch was wrong.

Ruby pulled out her scroll and dialed Yang's number. The line rung for several seconds before going to voicemail. Ruby pocketed her scroll. "What is going on today?"

Ruby had nothing to do. She had felt a variety of emotions since the demon invasion began, but she never thought that boredom would be one of them. No, it was something worse than boredom. She was anxious. All she could do was wait until the next Sector appeared. Until that happened all she could do was roll her various thoughts and troubles around her mind. This was the worst feeling ever. It reminded her of flying through the air during her initiation. All she could do was wait to hit the ground.

All kinds of thoughts clouded Ruby's mind, so her head was elsewhere when she walked right into another student and fell to the floor.

"Watch where you're going you little," a gruff voice said.

Ruby groaned. "Sorry." She looked up and saw Cardin's hard lavender eyes glaring down at her.

He extended a hand and helped her to her feet. "What's going on, short stuff?"

Ruby brushed the dust off her clothes. "Hey, Cardin. Are you feeling better?"

"Good enough. What are you doing? Shouldn't you be out on another one of your world-saving missions?"

"Right now I'm just waiting for another Sector to appear."

Cardin began to walk away. "Well, if you've got nothing better to do, how about we hang for a bit?"

Ruby placed a hand on her chin. She could spend the rest of the day staring at the ceiling, or spend the day with Cardin. She honestly didn't know which appealed to her less. But, before she knew it she was following him to a food cart. The two of them sat down and waited for their food to arrive. Ruby watched as Cardin tore into a massive bowl of food. She picked and poked at her own food but didn't feel hungry at all.

"So, what's eating at you?" Cardin asked.

"Well right now I'm wondering why you asked me to hang out with you."

"Cause I was bored. I wanted to hang with Jaune but him and Pyrrha are having a little lover's spat."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have friends you can spend time with?"

"Not really. Sky and Russel are dead, and Dove isn't exactly a guy you can have a conversation with."

"Yeah, I don't think anyone has ever heard Dove talk." Her head whipped around and her eyes widened. "Wait, what do you mean they're dead? When did that happen?"

"While you were off on one of your little adventures."

Ruby looked down at her plate. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Cardin snorted. "Don't be. I don't need you to keep up with every little thing that happens to me."

"What happened?" she asked.

"Same thing that happens to everyone. It was their time. Maybe they got cocky, or lazy, or just unlucky. Either way, they're dead now."

Ruby's stomach turned hearing Cardin's words. "How can you be so cold? You're their leader, aren't you?"

"Believe me, they'd say the same about me. None of us have time to babysit each other. When we became a team we all agreed to look out for ourselves first."

Cardin looked off into the distance like he was recalling a fond memory.

"Let me ask you something, pipsqueak. Did you get on with your team early on?"

"Well, Blake and Yang didn't have a problem with me being leader, but Weiss really didn't like me at first. She thought that she should have been leader instead."

"Figures. So how'd you handle it?"

"I talked to her."

Cardin snorted. "Of course you did. My teammates didn't like me being leader either. All of us had the same idea: we didn't want a leader weaker than us. So after they assigned teams we fought it out, and I won."

Ruby was taken aback at Cardin's smile. It was different from how he normally looked. It wasn't smug condescension or poorly concealed malice. It was a genuine smile. Ruby had never seen him look like that. She wondered if anyone had.

"It must be easy, being able to solve all your problems by beating them up," Ruby said.

"You are the last person I want to hear that from," Cardin said.

Ruby dug into her food. It was strange. If she had been told at the beginning of the school year that eating lunch with Cardin Winchester would be one of the few moments of peace she would get, she'd think it insane. But here she was, relaxing with Cardin the bigot, the bully, and one of the worst people she had ever met.

"Strange times make for strange bedfellows," Ruby said.

Cardin broke into laughter. "Slow down, Red. You're not my type."

"It's a saying, you moron."

XxX

Jaune paced back and forth thinking about what he should do. He couldn't get that image of Pyrrha out of his mind. The smoke billowing from her rifle, and her stone faced expression after having just killed a man. This wasn't like the girl he knew. He needed to talk to her, maybe find out what's going on with her.

After a bit of searching he found Pyrrha in the gym training. She was hanging from a bar with one hand as several large weights floated around her. Together they weighed over two tons. Pyrrha's muscles strained as she pulled herself up. Jaune silently watched Pyrrha finish her exercise. When she finished, she dropped to the ground and grabbed a bottle of water. As she was drinking she turned around and saw Jaune staring at her. She choked on her drink and started coughing. The weights she had levitated crashed into the ground.

"Jaune," she sputtered, "what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you," Jaune replied.

Pyrrha hastily grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from her body. "What is it?"

Jaune scratched the back of his head. "I need to talk to you. Do you have a minute?"

"Always."

After a few minutes of walking, the two of them stood on the roof of the dorm building. They had found themselves here many times in the past. Often it was to discuss important matters between them. Other times, it was just to relax. This time, there was a palpable tension between the two of them.

Jaune looked up at the sky. "We spend a lot of time up here."

"Yeah," Pyrrha replied. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"What happened in the village. You killed a man, Pyrrha. Not even that, you executed him."

"I never took you for that type, Jaune," Pyrrha replied.

"That's not the point. He wasn't a threat, he wasn't attacking us, there was no reason to kill him."

"He killed children, Jaune. That's a good enough reason."

"It's not our place to decide who lives and dies. We're not gods."

Pyrrha shook her head. "You don't understand. Do you remember when you told me why you came here?"

Jaune nodded. "I wanted to live up to my family name. It was all that mattered to me."

Pyrrha smiled. "And we worked together to help you become the man we both know you are deep down." Her smile faded. "But it was different for me. I never needed to train. I was born strong. I would see people struggling to improve, but I could never connect with them. I just didn't understand what it meant to be weak. One day, my mother told me that I was blessed with talent. It was a gift, and I had to use it responsibly. I was just a child, so I didn't truly comprehend her words, but I got it in time. The strong have an obligation to protect those who can't protect themselves. It's why I wanted to become a Hunter. If I ignored the evil that was right in front of me, I'd be betraying myself. I can't allow people like that man to walk this world. People like him, who would gladly send others to die for their own benefit, they're the worst people of all. People like that don't deserve to live."

Jaune looked at Pyrrha like he was seeing her for the first time. This was nothing like the girl he knew. But how well did he really know her? Did he ever ask about her childhood, or her upbringing, or how she really felt about anything? Maybe this really was his first time meeting the real Pyrrha.

"Everything's all messed up," Jaune said.

"True. None of us are the same people we were. That's the world we're living in now."

"You think it'll ever get better?"

Pyrrha sighed. "That's the wrong way to think. We're not going to make things better, so the best we can do is to keep it from getting worse."

* * *

 **AN** : Yeah this is a short chapter because I wasn't really feeling this one. But, the next one will be the last transitional chapter before we get into the next arc. It will also answer one of the questions that's been hanging over this story since it started. Please look forward to it.


	26. Film

Mara sat in her realm meditating. She had spent the past several days observing the entirety of Remnant. Her plan would come to fruition sooner than she had anticipated, and the one responsible had no idea what effect their actions would have.

"Adam Taurus. To think he would willingly forsake his humanity. Perhaps he is the one I should have acquired. If he and Yang were to meet in battle, I cannot say for certain who would survive. How exciting. If Yang can kill him, then she will grow even stronger, if Adam wins, then I can obtain a mighty warrior for myself."

"Are you enjoying yourself?" a new voice asked.

Mara panicked and bowed her head to the ground. "Lord Lucifer! What is it that you desire of me?"

The sight of Mara groveling before a woman less than half her size was a comical one, but neither of the women felt like laughing. Lucifer was known for many things, but a sense of humor was not one of them.

Loiusa looked down at Mara with a slight smirk. "I merely came to observe you. I take it that your little experiment is coming along nicely?"

"Indeed. Would you like to meet her?"

Louisa shook her head. "I have had my fill of children. If you say that she is capable, then that is all I need. Perhaps she could take Belial's place among us."

"To hear such words from you. I don't deserve your praise," Mara said.

"Do not make me regret praising you, Mara." with those words, Lucia exited the Demon Realm.

Mara exhaled loudly. "Now then, what else is there?"

She looked down at the world and several things caught her attention. Her eyes settled on a girl in white reading a book.

"Mastema's thrall. She will be a problem. Although the chances are slim, if Mastema were to turn her to his side fully, her power would rival Yang's." She looked elsewhere, and found a girl in a forest training with her scythe.

"One of the heretical beings. She is by far the greatest threat to my ambitions. If I am to prevail, she will have to die first."

Elsewhere, in a different part of the forest, Mara found Yang training with a friend.

"Yang, the time is almost near. I will make you into a true demon. I will stake my very existence on it."

XxX

Yang stood completely still. She took a deep breath, and felt her aura course through her body. It wasn't enough. She reached deep inside herself, searching for a different power. It sat deep within her, like a lump of iron. She imagined taking it in her hand and lifting it up. The power struck her like a bolt of lightning. Her yellow aura turned a dark red and flowed from every pore.

"Alright, I'm ready," Yang said.

Blake nodded and drew her sword. She disappeared in a flurry of leaves and appeared behind Yang, her sword speeding toward her partner's neck. Before she could even begin her attack, Yang buried her elbow in Blake's stomach. Blake skidded along the ground and disintegrated. More attacks came from every direction. Yang screamed and surrounded herself in a pillar of fire. The clones were reduced to ash in an instant. Yang raised the temperature even further. The ground went black as cracks began to run through it. The trees withered and died, and it suddenly became hard to breathe.

Yang released her power and took a deep breath. She had grown stronger. Before, unleashing her power like that would have left her exhausted.

Blake peeked out from behind a tree. "Are you done?"

Yang nodded. Blake slowly approached her, wincing at the intense heat radiating off of Yang. Despite the heat, Yang was striking. Her skin glowed with a faint white light, the edges of her hair were engulfed in flames, and her eyes were blood red. Her appearance was undoubtedly nonhuman, but there was a certain beauty to it.

"Are you okay?" Blake asked.

"Yeah," Yang replied, "never better. I must be getting used to these powers." She pointed a hand up towards the sky and shot out a large jet of fire. "It doesn't even hurt anymore."

It wasn't just the lack of burns on her skin, she noticed that the headaches that usually came with using her demonic powers were no longer present. Perhaps it was like exposure therapy, and the more she used them the less it hurt.

"You've gotten stronger too," Yang said, "your copies can take more damage now, and you can make more of them. You've seriously improved."

"That's good," Blake said. "And, thanks again for helping me train. It's been a while since I've had a good sparring partner."

Blake smiled, but Yang saw a hint of sadness behind it. Yang had a feeling she knew who Blake was referring to.

"You're talking about Adam, right?" Yang asked.

Blake flinched slightly. "Am I that obvious?"

"Kinda, yeah. But if you don't wanna talk about it that's fine."

Blake sighed. "It's not that I don't want to talk about it, I just doubt you'd be interested."

Yang grinned. "Juicy gossip about my partner? How could I not be interested? So tell me, were you two a thing?"

Blake shook her head vigorously. "no no no, absolutely not. We were friends, but nothing beyond that."

Yang's smirk grew even wider. "Oh? So you didn't have a little crush on your glorious leader?"

Blake turned away from Yang. "I'm not answering that. Besides, he was too busy to be with anyone. The White Fang was his entire life. He was almost always out fighting or recruiting new members. He always said that any chance to further the cause was one worth taking."

"Sounds like he was a pretty intense guy," Yang said.

Blake nodded in agreement. "He was. Actually, you kind of remind me of him. You're both really passionate about what you believe in. But you're not all like him. He let himself be consumed by his obsessions, and I know that you won't end up like that."

"Yeah, people always said I was pretty grounded. Besides, I can't think of anything that would send me over the edge."

Blake felt her stomach rumble. "It's almost time for lunch. Wanna head back?"

"I'm feeling pretty hungry myself," Yang said.

"Alright, I'll see you in the cafeteria," Blake said. She took a deep breath and vanished.

"Blake? Where'd you go?" Yang asked. She looked around the forest and didn't see her anywhere.

"Must be her semblance. But wait, does that mean I was talking to a clone this whole time? Oh that girl is in for it when I find her."

Elsewhere in Beacon, the real Blake suddenly felt a chill, though she had no idea why.

XxX

Ruby spun her scythe in circles, moving faster with each rotation. This was one of the few ways that she could clear her mind. Each swing sent out a gust of wind, but she needed to be faster, sharper. Belial was only the third, and he was the most powerful demon they had encountered yet. If it weren't for Mastema's intervention there's no telling how that fight would have ended.

Ruby ground her teeth as she thought about the angel. No, it wasn't him that had her so frustrated. It was how he had Weiss completely enthralled. She hung on to his every word. Ruby had no idea how or when it had happened, but Weiss was traveling down a path that Ruby couldn't follow. The angels were an unknown quantity. They didn't ravage and murder with wanton abandon like the demons, but Ruby couldn't trust them. She would hear people talk about entire villages, thousands of people, disappearing overnight. There were no ruins or corpses like the demons would leave. There was nothing, not even a trace. It happened with enough regularity that people began to join Weiss in her prayers in the hopes that they could avoid a similar fate.

Could Weiss do that? Kill thousands without thinking twice? Ruby didn't know for sure. If it was before, before the demons upended their lives, then she would be certain what Weiss would do. But now...

And then there was Yang, her sister. She had become something non human. Ruby didn't think that Yang would become a bloodthirsty monster, but there were times where she couldn't be certain. Yang reveled in her newfound power. She always enjoyed fighting, but now it was like she had fallen in love with violence itself. How long did she have before she crossed the line? Was it a matter of "if" or "when"?

Ruby pulled at her hair. There were too many things going on and none of it made any sense. Everything hinged on what she did next, but she didn't have the slightest clue what the right answer was.

She took a deep breath. Panicking wouldn't do anyone any good. She would handle each problem as she came to it. For now, all she could do was keep training.

She took a deep breath and called upon her power. She could feel it coursing through her body. It was different from her aura. She suddenly felt lighter. She bounced up and down and rocketed toward a tree. She landed on the trunk and bounced off. She banked from tree to tree with ease. It took days of training, but she had discovered a new function for her eyes. It was like the enhancement magic demons used. It was useful for sure, but Ruby felt that there was something more. She could feel it. She closed her eyes and drew up even more power. She could feel something inside her that was locked away. She tried to force the lock open, but felt a stabbing pain in both of her eyes. She fell to the ground screaming and covered in sweat. She panted heavily and decided to end her training for the day. Laying on the ground, she took a moment to enjoy the silence.

Until her scroll started ringing.

"Hello?" Ruby said.

"Salutations, friend Ruby,"

Ruby's spirits were raised instantly. "Penny! Are you okay?"

"Never better. My repairs were a simple matter. Luckily there were some spare parts I could use."

Ruby sighed with relief. "That's good. So, where are you now? Still in Atlas?"

"I am, but I've been requested to join General Ironwood in Vale. It seems that I am required for something important. It must have something to do with my father's research."

"What kind of research?" Ruby asked.

"He has been observing the Sectors for some time now. It seems he has discovered something."

Ruby couldn't help her curiosity. "What is it?"

There was an incredibly long silence. Ruby tapped her foot impatiently.

"Penny?"

"Yes?" Penny responded.

"What did your dad find out?"

"Nothing, _hic_ ," she replied quickly.

"Are you sure? Because it sounds like it was kind of important."

"I'm sure. There's absolutely nothing wrong, _hic._ You have nothing to worry about, _hic."_

Ruby rubbed at her temples. "Is it something you can't tell me?"

"Correct," Penny said.

Ruby sighed. "Alright. Well, if you are heading to Vale then I can't wait to see you again."

"Thank you, Ruby. I am looking forward to meeting you as well."

XxX

Ruby's good mood lasted until lunch. She thought of being able to see Penny again as she wolfed down her food. The others noticed her change in disposition and found themselves in better spirits as well. Except for Blake, who was tending to a large lump on her head.

"What happened to you, Blake?" Ruby asked.

"She slipped and fell," Yang answered. "What's got you all happy?"

"Penny's coming back to Vale. I can't wait to see her again."

Weiss frowned. "That girl is strange, though that would explain why the two of you get along so well."

"Don't be mean, Weiss," Yang said, "a little strangeness never hurt anyone."

Ruby looked over at Jaune. His Pixie was on top of his head nuzzling his hair. "That's definitely strange."

"You say something?" Jaune asked.

"I was just wondering, how long are you gonna hold on to that Pixie? It must be super weak."

Pixie looked cross. "My master would never get rid of me, right master?"

"Well, I have thought about it," Jaune said.

Pixie's face fell as her eyes welled up with tears. "I can't believe you."

"Let me finish. I thought about it, but she's special to me. She was the first demon I found, and she saved my life. Besides, she's cute."

"She is," Ren said.

"Aww. I love you, master," Pixie said as tried her best to hug Jaune.

"I love you too, P."

As this was happening Pyrrha watched grinding her teeth. Pixie noticed her glaring and shot her a smug grin. Pyrrha cracked the table under her grip.

Ruby shrugged. "If you say so. That thing probably couldn't even kill a..."

Ruby's eyes widened as she remembered. Images flooded her mind. Endless hordes of monsters, her wielding her scythe to destroy them, her friends helping her to fight.

Ruby shot out of her seat, eyes wide with surprise. "The Grimm! What happened to them?"

upon hearing Ruby's words, each of her friends donned similar expressions. One by one, the students all came to the same realization. They hadn't seen a single Grimm since the demons invaded. A fundamental aspect of their world had disappeared overnight, and none of them noticed.

Ren felt a knot in his stomach. "How could we forget something like that? The Grimm were the whole reason we became Hunters in the first place."

"I don't know," Jaune said, "but it's not like we forgot. It's more like we were made to forget."

Weiss' hand went to the scar over her left eye. Her mind went back to the night before she left Atlas, the night she was forced to prove herself. How could she have forgotten that?

"What could even do that? It's more than just erasing someone's memory, you'd have to completely rewrite Remnant's history."

"It must have been a demon," Blake said, "but what kind of demon could do that?"

"An extremely powerful one. Possibly the strongest one in existence."

Ruby suddenly smiled. "This is good. That means we're nearing the end. If we can find whatever got rid of the Grimm then we can get rid of the demons too. We might be able to return Remnant to normal."

"That's quite optimistic of you," Weiss said, "not that I disagree. Anything that places us closer to ridding our world of those demons is a boon."

"We have something to go on. I get the feeling it's connected to the Artifacts. I just wish we knew who had the other one."

Yang shrugged. "If they know the truth about the Artifacts, then they'll be waiting for the next Sector to appear, same as us. We're bound to run into them eventually."

"Yeah, you're right. No point in worrying about it now."

As Ruby went back to her food, she heard a scroll ringing. It wasn't hers, she realized as she saw Blake looking at her own scroll.

"What's up?" Ruby asked.

"I've got an alert on all the news stations in Remnant in case something happens. It's probably another demon attack."

She pressed the notification and went pale. She dropped her scroll in shock.

"What's wrong?" Weiss asked.

Blake got up and left the table without a word. Yang picked up Blake's forgotten scroll and her eyes widened.

"Holy shit," she said.

All across the lunchroom other students looked at their own scrolls. A distressed murmur overtook the normal buzz of conversation.

"What's everyone freaking out about?" Ruby asked.

"Turn on VNN," Yang answered.

Ruby navigated to the Vale News Network site. They were in the middle of a breaking news bulletin.

"Hello, my name is Lisa Lavender of Vale News Network. If you are just joining us, we have received a communication from the thought to be defunct White Fang. We must warn you, the images we are about to show you are graphic and might be disturbing for some viewers."

The scene changed to a snowy mountaintop. The night sky was illuminated by flames. There was a large mansion burning to the ground, sending a massive pillar of smoke into the sky. Ruby had no idea what was going on, but she saw Weiss break out into a sweat right next to her. She was about to ask what was wrong, but Weiss answered before she could.

"That's my house," Weiss said.

Ruby's stomach sank. The video continued, the camera slowly panning over the burning mansion. The person filming settled on a large pile of bodies. The corpses were dressed in various outfits. Some were dressed like servants, while others looked like soldiers. Sitting atop the pile was a man dressed in all black with a glowing red katana slung over his shoulder. He didn't say a word, only staring up at the night sky. Someone, likely the person filming, began to speak.

"Greetings, people of Remnant. This is Bane, of the White Fang. This is our declaration of war. For too long, our people have languished as second class citizens. We were treated like animals, abused, exploited, murdered. We of the White Fang will no longer sit idly by as our people are treated in such a way. Tonight, we have struck a blow against the greatest perpetrators of our oppression."

Bane pointed the camera towards the front of the burning house. Presented in the center were three people nailed to crosses. There were an older looking man and woman, along with a boy who looked younger than Ruby. Their faces were all covered in blood and bruises, and their clothes had dozens stab marks in them. Iron nails had been driven through their wrists and feet. They had been tortured and murdered, and now they were put on display.

Ruby's brow furrowed. Something about them looked familiar. She looked closer and saw that all three had the same white hair and blue eyes as Weiss. This was her family.

Bane laughed as he filmed the bodies. "I admit, I did enjoy this, but we are not done. We will tear down the pillars of human society, starting with Beacon Academy. We will change the world, and you cannot stop us."

He turned the camera toward his face, covered by a blood spattered mask. "Oh, and Weiss? I'm looking forward to seeing you again."


	27. Prelude

The next morning Weiss sat in Ozpin's office. The staff had offered their condolences and asked her for any information regarding the White Fang. General Ironwood, who arrived that morning, was a mixture of emotions. He was grieving the loss of his friend, and he was enraged that he allowed the Fang to achieve a decisive victory and escape Atlas afterwards.

"I accept full responsibility for what happened, and I will not rest until those responsible are brought to justice," the General said.

"Please, it's not your fault," Weiss responded. "My family had no shortage of enemies, something like this was bound to happen eventually."

The General tightened his fist. "Protecting Atlas is my responsibility. I failed in my duty."

"We all believed the Fang was defunct. After the Breach their activities came to a halt. No one expected this. Besides, as I recall those men were from the Vale faction," Ozpin said.

Weiss gripped the side of her chair. "It must be a demon. That's the only explanation. They made to the other side of the world in less than a day, and escaped the kingdom before any of the authorities could find them."

"That's certainly a possibility," Ironwood said.

Ozpin took a sip from his mug. "Whatever demon they acquired, they believe it will allow them to attack Beacon. We must prepare for battle."

Ironwood nodded in agreement. "I will allow you as many of my men as you require."

"What about my sister?" Weiss asked.

"The captain is assisting me in finding the men responsible."

Weiss nodded. "As long as she's safe." She rose from her seat. "If you will excuse me, I must be heading to class."

Ozpin frowned slightly. "If you like, you can take some time for yourself. We would not hold it against you."

"I must refuse. If I allowed myself to falter, I will fall from the path. I will resume my life as normal, and when I find those who have taken my family from me, I will destroy them. There is nothing more to it than that."

Weiss gave a slight curtsy and left the office. Ozpin sighed and placed his head in his hands. "This has gone further than I anticipated."

"Do you think the White Fang knows about the Artifacts?" Ironwood asked.

"At least one of them does, why else would they attack Beacon? More importantly, I believe there is another matter you would like to discuss."

Ironwood nodded and pulled out a thick file. He laid it on the desk and pulled out some hastily scribbled notes.

"I had my science division conduct an off the record investigation. They discovered that the Sectors are expanding. Not by much, but they are growing larger. It's only a matter of time before they consume all of Remnant. I don't have to explain what the end result would be."

"How much longer do we have?"

"At the rate of expansion we have less than a year."

"That is quite troubling. I would like you to keep this matter close, for now. Causing unnecessary panic would help no one."

XxX

Weiss stood outside the classroom door. Her hand went towards the knob, but she stopped short. She couldn't stop her hand from shaking. That wouldn't do at all. She took a deep breath and forced her hand still. She opened the door and confidently strode into the room.

The class came to a screeching halt when Weiss walked in. All conversation, all movement died when they saw her pristine form. Her pale white face betrayed no emotion, and there was no hesitation in her as she took her seat.

Professor Oobleck frowned at his student. "Miss Schnee, I'm glad to see you well. Are you certain that you would like to join us today?"

Weiss smiled like nothing was wrong. "I would. What happened last night is of no concern at this moment."

Weiss took her seat next to Ruby. Ruby looked over at Weiss, her concern written all over her face.

"Are you okay?" Ruby whispered.

"Yes, now please stop asking," Weiss replied.

Ruby sighed and went back to napping. The professor resumed his lesson. Weiss had completely tuned it out. Her mind raced with emotions about the events of the previous day. There were many questions on her mind. Who was that man with the sword? Something about him told her that he was the leader, but she wasn't up to date on the White Fang's power structure. How did they get in and out of Atlas with no one noticing? It had to be a demon. No other explanation made sense. Weiss ground her teeth together. It always came back to the demons. It didn't matter anyway, she was going to destroy the demons either way.

"Weiss."

Unbidden, her mind flashed with the images of her family. Beaten, stabbed, tortured, crucified. Her father wasn't a good man by any measure, but did he really deserve that?

"Weiss."

Then there was her mother. Her only mistake was getting married to the wrong person. She likely didn't even know why they were targeted. She hadn't made any major decisions regarding the SDC since she married Jacques. Her brother was another matter entirely. He chose to emulate his father, much to Weiss' chagrin. But he was still young, there was no guarantee that he'd follow the same path. He could have been saved. Weiss' hand shook as she imagined them pleading for their lives, begging for mercy from those who had none. The White Fang needed to pay.

"Weiss!"

Ruby's shout snapped her back to reality. She looked around and saw that everyone was staring at her. Weiss looked to her left and saw the student next to her encased in a block of ice. Weiss thawed the student out, and got up and left without a word. Ruby got up and left behind her.

Weiss walked in her room and threw herself onto her bed. She had failed completely.

"What do I do?"

She heard a voice in her head.

 _Man is no different from the demons. That is why they require the Lord's guidance._

Weiss jumped out of her bed. "Mastema?"

She heard someone knocking at the door.

"Weiss? Are you in there?" Ruby called out.

"Come in," Weiss said.

The door opened and Ruby walked in looking down at the ground.

"Weiss, I just wanted to ask if you were okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Weiss said.

Ruby looked at Weiss. Her partner's face was like a mask. There was nothing there. Her eyes were cold and hard, with none of their normal shine.

"We both know you're not okay, Weiss. No one would be after what happened."

Weiss snorted. "Good grief. You expect me to shed tears over them? You don't know a thing about my family."

"I don't know because you won't tell me. Weiss, your family was murdered! You can't tell me you don't feel anything."

Weiss's face curled with a scowl. She angrily stomped up to Ruby.

"You want to know about my family? Fine, let me tell you. My mother was an alcoholic. She spent most of her day drinking until she couldn't see. She gave up on being my mother years ago. My brother is my father's toady. All he cared about was sucking up to him. He didn't even have a personality of his own. And my father? You should already know about him. He was greedy, selfish, he drove my family's name into the ground, he didn't care about anyone but himself." Her lips quivered. Her eyes burned with tears. She stared at the ground so Ruby wouldn't see her cry.

"He was a terrible father."

Ruby wrapped her arms around Weiss. At that moment, Weiss' mask shattered. She cried into ruby's chest for what felt like hours. She let everything out. Her grief over her family, her friends, and the loss of her world. She let it all out.

When it was over, Ruby and Weiss sat next to each other on a bed.

"Sorry about your shirt," Weiss said.

Ruby laughed. "Don't worry about it. I'm glad you're feeling better."

"It depends on how you look at it." She yawned and stretched out. "I'm feeling a little tired. Is it alright if I rest for a moment?"

"It's fine. Do you want me to get you anything?"

"You've done all I need you to, thanks."

Ruby left and Weiss closed her eyes. As she slept, she felt a hand on her face. Her body grew warm, and she felt a strange sense of peace.

XxX

Blake stood in front of the door to her room. She reached for the knob, but stopped when she heard Weiss crying. There was a knot in her stomach. She wanted to apologize, to tell Weiss everything, but she was afraid. To do it now would just be pouring salt in the wound. How would she feel, being offered condolences from someone who was her mortal enemy less than a year ago?

Blake walked away from the door. There was nothing she could say.

She kept walking until she was on the edge of the cliff outside the school. She sat there staring off into the distance.

"Something on your mind?" Yang asked.

Blake sighed. "How do you keep finding me?"

"Well I ask myself 'where would I go if I wanted to brood' and boom, there you are."

"I need to switch things up, then."

"Seriously, what's wrong? You shot out the lunchroom like a bat out of hell."

"Remember that guy I told you about, Adam? He was in the video. He killed all those people. I thought there was some good left in him, but I was wrong. He won't stop until he takes the entire world. I can't let that happen. I... I have to kill him."

"You don't have to take on everything yourself. It's not your responsibility to bring him down."

"Yes it is, Yang!" Blake snapped. "I ignored the signs for years. I just stood by and watched while he killed people, and I never once tried to stop him. This is on me. He was my friend. I have to be the one to put him down."

Yang flicked Blake on the forehead. "You dumb ass."

Blake recoiled and held her head. Yang's finger nearly cracked her skull. "What was that for?"

"Isn't there something you're overlooking?"

"Like what?"

"'He hurt my friend'. What other reason would you need to want to take him down?"

Blake looked like she had been slapped. "Oh."

"You get so caught up in your own problems that you forget you've got people around you to help you. We've all got a reason to want to take Adam down, and we'd be happy to help you."

The two girls sat and watched the sun go down. No more words needed to be said, the two understood each other completely.

XxX

Ruby sat on the dorm roof staring up at the night sky. Weiss was fast asleep, and Yang and Blake were off doing something alone. Times like this were perfect for gathering one's thoughts.

The demons were one thing, but Ruby never anticipated having to fight other people. Part of her, a naive part she admitted, hoped that people would be able to set aside their differences in the face of a greater threat. But that only happened in those stories she liked to read.

Her scroll started ringing. She looked and saw that it was penny calling.

"Hello?"

"Salutations, friend Ruby," Penny said.

"Hey penny. What are you doing?"

"Well, right now I'm helping the General formulate a plan to strike back against the White Fang. I wish we could have spent some time together, but I am not allowed to leave the compound."

"Yeah, everything's all messed up, more so than usual. How's General Ironwood doing?"

"He was quite upset about what happened. He and Mr Schnee were very close. I cannot imagine what it's like to lose a friend."

Ruby thought about her friends, and her teammates. What would it be like to lose them, to stand over their grave? What would they do if she died?

But, in the back of her mind, something else was bothering Ruby in a way she couldn't quite figure out.

"Penny, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Penny said.

"Have you ever killed anyone?"

"I recall those ships I downed at the start of the year were filled people. Not all of them made it out in time."

"Not like that. I mean have you ever killed someone up close? Where they could see you coming?"

"I have. Before I was sent to Vale I performed various tasks at the General's request. Despite my appearance, I am a weapon first and foremost."

"How did you feel about it?"

Penny paused for several seconds. "I took a man's life to save a soldier in my company. While I do not wish to shed blood needlessly, I will not hesitate to defend myself or my allies."

Ruby sighed. "You're right. Maybe I'm just overthinking things."

"The thought of having to kill troubles you," Penny stated.

Ruby laughed. "Pretty pathetic, huh?"

"There's nothing wrong with that. I wouldn't want to meet someone who actually enjoys killing people. I would like to tell you something the General told me, many months ago. I asked him if it troubled him to kill, and he told me that it did, but he would do it every time if it meant saving the lives of others. But, he also believes that an ideal world would not require us to weigh peoples' lives in such a way."

"I had no idea the General was such an idealist."

"That is one of the many things I like about him, and you as well. You two are more alike than you realize."

"If you say so. Thanks for listening, Penny."

"Anytime. If you ever want to talk again, I'm always there."

"Goodnight, Penny. I hope I get to see you soon."

Ruby hung up her scroll and laid on her back.

"Take lives to save lives," she said to herself.

It was a simple matter in the end. Even if it hurt to do so, she couldn't afford to show any mercy to her enemies. There would be none in return, after all. After several minutes, Ruby got up and went back to her room. She found her other teammates already asleep, and decided to join them.

Twenty four hours later, the White Fang would commence their assault on Beacon Academy.


	28. Night

In the future, when people were asked about the day everything changed, everyone described how it began the exact same way.

"The sky opened up."

In spite of all the wildly varying accounts of what happened that night, everyone agreed on that detail alone.

It started with Yang and Blake standing on their dorm roof. Yang felt a stinging sensation all over her body.

"Something's coming," she said.

Blake shuddered. "I feel it too. It's strong, and there's more than one."

Yang pulled out her scroll. "Ruby? Get Weiss and Team JNPR and meet me in the courtyard. It's going down."

Yang couldn't keep the smile from crawling across her face.

In the courtyard, Ruby and the rest of her friends stood and waited. Anticipation was thick in the air. This would be nothing like the Minotaur. This was do or die.

Ruby tried to scan the area, but couldn't detect any demons.

"How are they getting here?" she asked.

"Teleportation?" Jaune responded. "Only way I can think of for how they'd get from Atlas so fast."

Ruby looked up and felt something. She looked up at the shattered moon, but something about it felt off. There was a shimmering around it, like there was something transparent in front of it. Then the sky split open. A massive hole filled with red and black covered the moon, and then the rest of the sky. Hundreds of people fell from the sky and landed in Beacon. With them came demons, some large, others small. Last among them was a giant black claw that swiped at the air. It emerged from the hole, revealing itself to be a massive dragon. It spread its wings and roared before flying away. It opened its mouth and unleashed a massive torrent of flames, destroying everything and everyone caught in its path.

Ruby could feel an immense power among the demons, one that was coming closer.

Still in the sky, a glowing red streak fell toward the ground, landing right in front of Ruby.

Adam slowly rose to his feet right as Bane landed next to him. Adam's face was a blank as he observed his men fighting.

"Hey, Weiss," Bane said. "Told you I'd be seeing you soon."

Weiss drew her sword and grabbed her scroll. She summoned her demon, a sword wielding angel wearing a suit of armor, and rushed into battle. She stabbed at Bane's head, but he raised his chainsaw and blocked her sword. He laughed in Weiss' face.

"I guess you don't want to talk. Alright, let's just get right to the killing."

A hole opened up beneath the two of them, and they vanished.

Adam shook his head. "Pointless distractions."

Blake stepped forward. In the next instant, her head was rolling along the ground. Her eyes locked with Adam's.

"You've gotten faster."

Adam chuckled. "So have you."

He thrust his sword backwards into Blake's stomach, then drew his sword and cleaved the clone in front of him. The real Blake hadn't moved from her spot.

"Enough games," Adam said. "Tell me where you've hidden the artifact, and I will let you live."

"No way in hell," Yang responded.

"I expected as much." His eyes went to his target. "However, that is not the only reason I came here tonight. I also came to kill you."

He drew his sword and stabbed faster than anyone could react. There was a screeching of metal meeting metal. Ruby had barely managed to raise her weapon in time. Her eyes widened. Adam was targeting her? Why?

As Ruby went sliding backwards, Jaune, Nora, and Yang all attacked Adam at once. Time slowed down as Adam assessed the threat. He effortlessly avoided Jaune's strike and Nora's hammer, but Yang's fist was more than he was expecting. It careened into his sword like a cannonball. He felt the impact deep in his arms.

"I see. You have also become a demon. I can't afford to take you lightly."

 _Also?_ Ruby thought. She activated her eyes and looked at Adam. She saw his status and gasped

 _Adam Taurus_

 _Fury Race_

"Why did you become a demon?" Ruby asked. "You know there's no coming back from that."

Adam shook his head. "If you don't understand then there's no point in me explaining." He drew his scroll and summoned his demon. "The one who is in the right is the one who wins."

A massive summoning circle appeared beneath his feet. The ground shook as a massive pillar of energy engulfed his body. The alarms on the other scrolls was deafening.

"Warning, an extremely dangerous demon has been detected! Evacuate the area immediately!"

The energy disappeared, and a demon stood next to Adam. It was a skeleton dressed as a bullfighter. It held a curved sword in one hand and a staff with a red cape in the other.

Ruby's eyes throbbed with pain as she tried to scan the demon. All she could manage was its name.

 _Matador_

 _Fiend Race_

Jaune's Pixie flew out of his scroll, her eyes wide with terror.

"No way. How did you form a contract with him?"

"Do you know this demon?" Jaune asked.

"The Matador is one of the Fiends. If this guy managed to beat him, then his power must be unreal. But it makes no sense. The Land of the Fiends is the deepest layer of the demon realm. Not even other demons could survive down there, let alone a human."

Adam broke out into laughter. "Perhaps you're right. No _human_ could survive."

Jaune called his demon back to his scroll. "Sorry, can't have you getting hurt."

"Jaune!" Ruby shouted. "You and your team go and help the other students. We can handle this."

Jaune and his team ran off to help in the fight.

Adam rushed towards Ruby, but his advance was stopped by Yang.

Yang grinned. "Sorry, but you gotta get through me first."

"That won't be a problem," Adam responded.

Adam's sword flashed out, crashing into Yang's fist. Yang parried the blade over and over. She shot out a jet of flames that Adam absorbed with his sword. Adam's body glowed red. He placed a hand on his sword. Yang put her hands up anticipating an attack, but right before Adam struck, he crouched down until he was almost parallel with the ground. His sword passed through Yang's aura, as well as her ankles. Yang fell to the ground, her feet severed.

Adam sheathed his sword and walked past her. He prepared to attack Ruby, but felt an ominous presence behind him. On instinct, he ducked under Yang's burning fist. She was standing again, her eyes red and a furious scowl on her face.

"That hurt, asshole."

At the same time, The Matador stood, waiting for an attack.

Ruby's demon flashed from her scroll. The Frost Ace trembled before the Matador. It shook its head and took a fighting stance.

"The Matador, one of the greatest evils, ho. I'll kill you, in the name of justice, ho."

The Matador raised its sword and pointed it to the sky.

"I swear upon this blade, I will once again seize victory."

Blake summoned her own demon, and it appeared in a shower of light.

Blake's demon was an older looking man with red skin wearing ornate black robes. He held a sword in his right hand, and his face was twisted with rage. Zhong Qui was the exact opposite of Blake in many ways, but it was her mightiest demon.

The Matador rushed into battle. His saber crashed into Zhong Qui's. The two exchanged blows, neither one gaining an advantage. The Matador parried another strike and prepared for a counter, but he was halted by a barrage of ice speeding toward his back. Without missing a beat he spun his Capote, the red cloth expanding and swallowing the ice.

The skeletal demon cackled. "Foolish. Try as you might, your horns shall not pierce my soul."

The Matador raised his sword above his head. The ground shook, and his body was awash in green energy.

"Now, strike me down if you can."

XxX

What stuck out the most to Weiss was how quiet it was. The only sounds were the shuffling of feet, the clashing of steel against steel, and the rumbling of Bane's chainsaw. The place they fought in was completely black inside. Heat radiated beneath Weiss' feet, meaning that whatever she was inside was alive. She felt the thick miasma of demonic energy all around her, choking her.

"What's wrong?" Bane taunted. He hefted his weapon and swung it like a bat. Weiss blocked with her sword. The chainsaw's teeth grinding against the blade screeched louder than anything she had ever heard.

Dominion threw his sword down, triggering a large explosion. He flew down and retrieved it. Weiss and her angel fought together, but Bane kept them both at bay. His monstrous strength had nearly taken her life before, and now he was even stronger. To fight Weiss and her Dominion at once without any trouble, he was on another level compared to before.

"Have you thrown away your humanity as well?" Weiss asked.

Dominion spread its wings and unleashed a torrent of enchanted scripture. They wrapped around Bane's body and glowed with a blinding light, and then unceremoniously fell from his body.

Bane laughed. "Sorry, but I like being human. Or should I say I like being a faunus? Either way, I declined becoming a demon. Sorry to disappoint you."

"No human could commit such depraved actions. I'll kill you for what you've done."

"You should be thanking me. My men wanted to do so much more, but I insisted that they be treated humanely. It's more than you humans have ever done for us."

Weiss' face was twisted with a deep scowl. "You call what you did humane?"

"Believe me, compared to what my men had in mind what I did to them was merciful."

Weiss's vision went red. She stabbed at Bane, but he easily parried her sword. Dominion flew behind him and stabbed at his back. Bane turned and caught the blade in his hand, ignoring the searing pain in his palm. He swung his weapon into the angel's body, tearing through his armor and sawing him in half. It fell to the ground and dissolved into light. Weiss spun the cylinder on her blade. She stabbed at Bane and encased his right shoulder in ice. He couldn't feel his fingers, and he lacked the strength to hold his weapon. He let it fall to the ground and attacked with his left fist. His fist collided with Weiss's jaw. She swallowed a tooth and washed it down with blood.

With a grunt Bane shattered the ice covering his arm and raised his fists.

Weiss summoned a glyph beneath her feet. She shot forward in a blur, her sword pointing straight. Her sword sank into flesh. Weiss' eyes widened. Bane caught the blade in her hand. Bane buried his fist in Weiss' stomach. Her mouth filled with bile. He threw his head back and slammed it into hers. Weiss felt something in her face break. Weiss yanked her sword out and stabbed Bane in the stomach. Bane grabbed Weiss's hand and broke three of her fingers.

The two continued to brutalize each other. Weiss slashed and stabbed like she was possessed. However, Bane didn't fall. His fists fell like hammers, bruising Weiss's face and breaking her bones. After what felt like hours, Weiss and Bane stood in a pool of blood and fallen teeth.

Neither one made a move at first. Partly because they were too exhausted, and partly because they were waiting for an opportunity.

Weiss thrust her sword towards Bane's heart. Bane twisted his body, diverting the blade into his shoulder. Weiss's eyes widened as Bane's fingers clamped around her throat. Even in his current state, the man's fingers were like iron. Weiss's air was completely cut off. She had mere seconds before her neck was snapped. Weiss pressed a button on her sword, igniting the red dust stored in the blade. An explosion tore Bane's arm from his shoulder. His arm thudded to the ground. Bane loosened his grip and Weiss fell to the ground. She sucked in air and grasped at her sword. She had no strength left in her.

Bane laughed. "This is not what I expected. You've certainly gotten stronger, but you're still lacking. You're weak, and that's why you can never defeat me."

He took a step forward, but fell to his knees. He clutched at the stump where his arm used to be.

"I would like to finish you off now, but I have to go patch myself up. Goodbye, Weiss. Say hi to your father for me."

Weiss suddenly felt herself falling. She was in the sky, the wind blowing around her. She would have laughed if she were able. After all of that she still couldn't win. She was still just as weak as she was that day in the tunnels. Tears began to fall from her eyes and into the sky. The last thing she saw before her vision went black was a man with wings flying towards her.

XxX

The Roman who was not Roman whistled casually as he stepped over the bodies strewn across the floor. Everything was going exactly how he predicted it. Now it was time to uphold his end of the deal.

"Which cell is he in?" he asked.

Neo looked at the scroll she had taken from a dead soldier and pointed down the hall.

Roman nodded. "Alright, let's go save your friend."

The two found their way to the cell where Roman was being kept. The two then realized that neither of them knew the code to open the door. The Roman who was not Roman shrugged and ripped the cell door apart. The Roman who was Roman sat wide eyed at this sudden development. He looked from the man before him to his friend.

"Did I miss something?"

Neo ran up to Roman and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I missed you too. If you're breaking me out then the plan's going down now, right?"

Neo tilted her head to the side.

"What do you mean 'kind of'? What's going on?"

The fake Roman laughed. "I'll explain later. Let's go join the party."

The real Roman grinned. "I like the way you think. So, what do I call you?"

The fake Roman's face was suddenly obscured by shadow. "You can call me Loki. I'm looking forward to working with you, master."


	29. City

Jaune and his friends ran through the city as it burned around them. They could hear the sounds of combat; the crumbling of buildings, the steady pops of gunfire, and the roar of the dragon circling overhead. It swooped low and unleashed another torrent of flame, incinerating everything caught in its path.

That dragon was the most pertinent threat, but none of them had the firepower to bring it down. As much as it pained them, they had to focus on the problems they could handle.

They heard a scream nearby. Turning a corner they found a group of civilians cowering before a pack of approaching demons. Jaune drew his sword, and slew them all in a flash.

"Weak," Jaune remarked. "They must be going for quantity over quality. If I had to guess, the only real threats are the Matador, and that dragon up there."

Jaune helped the people to their feet. "Are you all okay?"

One of the civilians, an older looking man, nodded. "Can you help us find shelter?"

Jaune sighed. "Come with us. We'll keep you safe."

"Where should we take them?" Pyrrha asked.

"Somewhere where there's no fighting. Maybe an empty building. Nora, Ren, you guys take them somewhere safe. We'll regroup later."

Jaune saw the look Nora was giving him and frowned. "Look, I don't like it any more than you, but keeping these people safe is our first priority. When you've made sure they're safe, you can come back and help us fight."

"Don't die," Ren commanded.

"You know I won't."

Nora and Ren took the civilians and left. Jaune and Pyrrha continued their quest to help clear out the city. The ground shook, and a building collapsed in the distance. They ran toward it and saw Cardin and his Oni engaged in battle. The Oni swung its spiked club and sent fighter after fighter flying off into the distance.

Cardin laughed, standing atop a pile of dead White Fang soldiers. He held one up by the neck, staring into his eyes as the life was choked out of him.

"What's the matter?" Cardin taunted. "Don't tell me that's the best you've got. I've hardly even worked up a sweat."

His fingers closed around the man's throat, and the soldier went limp. He looked over and saw Jaune and Pyrrha staring at him.

"The hell do you want?"

"Hey, Cardin," Jaune said. "Having fun?"

Cardin tossed the dead soldier aside. "Hardly. These pussies barely put up a fight. I'd probably have more fun with you."

"Nice to see you haven't lost your sense of humor. Listen, do you think you can help me? There are people in danger and we need to help them get to safety."

"Where are Thing 1 and Thing 2?"

"Heading back towards the school. They're handling something else for me"

Alright, fine. But if I don't get a good fight out of this I'm kicking your ass."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "Glad to have you on our side."

The three of them searched the city for survivors. They found burning and collapsed buildings, corpses, shattered machines, and Atlesian soldiers battling demons. Survivors were not easy to find.

"Looks like we're shit outta luck," Cardin quipped. "This is boring. I'm heading back to the school."

"Wait!" Jaune said. "Do you guys hear that?"

They turned a corner and went into an alleyway. Jaune found a dumpster and threw the lid open. He looked inside and saw a group of people cowering inside.

"Are you guys okay?" Jaune asked.

"Who are you?" one of the survivors asked.

"I'm from Beacon. We're here to help you. Can you come with us?"

The civilians climbed out of the dumpster. Jaune recoiled when he saw them. They were children. Their clothes were covered in blood and grime. Two of them looked like they had been crying.

"Aren't you Pyrrha?" one of the children asked.

Pyrrha smiled. "Yes, I am. You can count on me to keep you safe."

The kids clung close to the hunters as they made their way to a safe zone.

One of the children stole glances at Cardin's Oni. Its towering muscular body and bloodstained club didn't do much to inspire confidence. The child couldn't help but tremble. The Oni noticed the child staring and flashed them a toothy grin. Blood dripped from its teeth. The child screamed and hid behind Jaune.

Pyrrha glowered. "Keep that thing in line, Cardin."

"Stop scaring the kids, dipshit," Cardin said.

The Oni laughed. "Why don't you let me eat one? I've been feeling kind of hungry."

"There's plenty of Faunus around for you to munch on. Don't eat the kids. I won't say it again."

They kept walking, taking care to avoid unneeded battles. Every so often they had to run away to avoid an explosion or the dragon's flames. After some walking they reached a part of the city that didn't have much fighting. They found an abandoned building and forced the door open.

Jaune breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, you guys head inside and stay until the fighting's over."

Suddenly, the back of Jaune's neck began to burn.

"Get down!" he shouted.

As they all ducked, something sliced through the air and took off the Oni's head.

A demon floated above them. It had the body of a person, but its arms ended with feathered wings. Its legs were long, but instead of feet it had claws with sharp looking talons. There was no flesh on its body. It was a flying skeleton. It held the Oni's head in its talons and ruthlessly crushed it.

"I was waiting to get you alone. I don't want anyone else stealing my prey," the demon said.

"Run and hide," Pyrrha told the children. She extended her spear and covered it in her aura. She threw it like a javelin, her semblance accelerating it much further than normal. The demon dodged it, but the spear turned in midair and came back, destroying part of the demon's rib cage. It screamed in pain, but it didn't die.

As its ribs repaired themselves, the demon glared at Pyrrha. It flew up into the air and flew down face first toward Pyrrha. Pyrrha raised her shield before the demon's beak slammed into it. She was lifted off the ground and the demon drove her through multiple buildings. Clouds of dust billowed into the air. The demon flew back alone, Pyrrha nowhere to be found.

Cardin let out a low whistle. "Think she's dead?"

Jaune summoned his Pixie. "Go find Pyrrha for me."

The Pixie rolled her eyes and flew off into the distance. Jaune looked up at the winged demon.

"You wouldn't happen to have another demon, would you?" he asked Cardin.

"Nope, and even if I did, none of them would be that fast."

"Same. Guess we're doing this the hard way."

The demon flew up into the air and dove towards Jaune. Jaune ducked, the demon passing by overhead and crashing into a building.

Jaune sighed. "This is gonna suck."

The demon flapped its wings, unleashing a powerful gust of wind. Jaune ran before the ground beneath him was gouged out.

He ducked behind a car and caught his breath.

"Any ideas?" Jaune asked.

"I got one. It's a long shot, and if it doesn't work we're both dead."

"Oh, I thought it'd be difficult."

Cardin walked out into the street, empty-handed. He looked up and smirked at the demon.

"What are you waiting for? You hungry? Take a chunk out of me."

The demon's eye sockets narrowed. It dive-bombed Cardin, its foot pointed directly at him. The impact created a crater in the street. In the center stood Cardin. His hands were wrapped around the demon's leg. It's claws pierced his stomach, but it was better than being blown in half. He grinned as blood poured from his mouth.

"That all you got? My dad hit harder than that."

The demon was struck by a moment of hesitation. Its instant kill attack was nullified by a human. In its confusion, it failed to notice Jaune approaching from behind. He leaped and swung his sword, severing the demon's head. As it fell to the ground, Jaune smashed the skull into dust. The demon's body faded away. Without the claws plugging the wound, the injuries on Cardin's stomach bled freely.

"That was fun," Cardin said.

Jaune summoned his Kikuri-Hime. She floated into the sky and looked down at Jaune.

"What is it, my master?"

"Can you heal Cardin for me? He's really hurt."

Kikuri's lips curled into a scowl. "If you insist."

She floated down to Cardin and placed a hand on his chest. His body was engulfed in light and his wounds were healed.

As soon as she was finished healing Cardin Kikuri yanked her hand away.

"Do not ask this of me again," she commanded. Jaune returned her to his scroll.

"Can you still fight?"

"Of course I can."

"Good. Let's go find Pyrrha."

Before they took a single step, both of them froze. Something, somewhere, had just gone horribly wrong. A chill ran through their bodies.

Cardin shivered. "What was that? Felt like I was naked in a blizzard."

Jaune turned back towards Beacon. Off in the distance, he could see a bright white light, growing larger every second.

XxX

Ren and Nora took in their surroundings as they traveled through the city. The sounds of screams, the smell of smoke, the glow of the burning buildings.

"Just like back home," Ren said.

"Ren!" Nora chided.

"What?"

Nora shook her head and looked back at the people behind her.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure you stay safe."

High above them, the dragon roared and unleashed another torrent of flames. At this point it was surrounded by Atlas fighter jets and being barraged with missiles.

Ren sighed. "I'm glad I don't have to fight that thing."

"It's not like we'll be taking it easy. We still need to make it back to Beacon to help Ruby. The Matador, if that thing is even half as strong as Alice was, she's in serious danger."

As they were walking, Nora's brow furrowed.

"Is the sky changing color?"

The air around them suddenly took on a pinkish color. There were pink flower petals slowly floating to the ground all over the area.

"Something isn't right," Ren said, grabbing his guns.

"Go and hide," Nora told the civilians.

After making sure they were safe, Nora looked up at the sky.

"Alright, come on out. I know you're watching us."

"Warning, a powerful demon has been detected," their scrolls said.

The ground shook, and a demon materialized in front of them. The demon looked completely human, in other circumstances they would have assumed it was another Hunter. It was an older looking man with waist length dark blue hair. He wore silver armor adorned with purple gems. He held a spear in his hands.

Both Nora and Ren bristled. The demon wasn't as strong as the dragon in the sky, and not nearly as powerful as the Matador, but there was something else. This demon was dangerous in its own way.

"I have longed for this day, the day that I would see you again," the demon said.

"Do I know you?" Nora asked.

The demon laughed. "I'm not surprised that you don't remember me, I looked quite different back then. But now, I have reached the height of my power."

Nora's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute, Setanta?"

"Correct, but my name now is Cu Chulainn. I am no longer the child that you bested. I must thank you for allowing me to perceive my deficiencies. I would like to repay the debt I owe you"

Cu threw his spear into the air. It split apart into dozens of projectiles that fell onto the hunters like rain. Ren deflected them as well as he could while Nora blocked them with her hammer.

While they were distracted, Cu charged at them, his spear in hand. He stabbed at Ren's stomach. Ren turned to the side and avoided the attack, but without missing a beat Cu spun and slashed at Ren's feet. Ren stomped on the spear's point, pinning it to the ground. At that moment, Nora swung down at Cu with her hammer. Cu grinned and let go of the spear. He caught Nora's hammer in his hand and kicked her feet out from under her. As she fell, Cu buried his foot in her face, sending her flying. As Ren paused in shock, Cu summoned his spear and stabbed at Ren again. Ren used his guns to block the attack. The impact of the spear sent shocks throughout his body. Cu kept up the pursuit and stabbed his spear into Ren's right wrist. Ren gritted his teeth in pain. His aura swirled around his left hand. He raised his gun and fired at Cu. The bullet struck the demon, knocking him to the ground.

Cu jumped up and laughed. "Very good. You're much stronger than before. Of course, so am I."

He sliced Nora's grenade in two before it got close to him. He turned and saw Nora dragging her hammer. Her face was covered in blood and her nose looked like it was broken.

"Blah, blah, blah. Don't any of you demons know when to shut up? I don't have time for this."

Cu's grin grew even wider. "I agree. Let's make this fast."

He gripped his spear, engulfing it in his demonic power. It glowed a bright pink. He stomped the ground and threw it at Nora. The spear flew with incredible speed. Nora's hammer exploded, the boosted swing knocking the spear off course. The spear changed direction in midair and flew back at Nora. Her eyes widened and she turned before the spear impaled her. It turned again and attacked once more.

Each time the spear was deflected it flew back even faster than before. After dozens of swings Nora's arms had no feeling left in them. She didn't have the strength to lift her hammer. She fell to one knee and gasped for air.

Cu regarded her with amusement. "Well done. There are few who can defend themselves against my Gae Bolg. But it seems that you have exhausted your strength. Why don't you use that technique you used against me before? It might allow you to seize victory."

Nora sighed. She never really understood people who fought for fun. What could be enjoyable about risking your life? For her, fighting was about survival. It always was. If she were weak, if she faltered for even a second, then she was dead. Only the truly privileged could fight because they enjoyed it.

She tried to put strength into her fingers. She felt a faint spark at the tips of her fingers. That would be enough. She slowly raised her hand and placed it over her heart. Her hand crackled with pink electricity. The power flowed into her body. Her muscles burned as power was forced into them. She could smell blood and burning hair. She dragged herself to her feet and lifted up her hammer. Her hair glowed at the edges and her eyes changed color into a bright white.

It was a question that had been gnawing at her for months. Allowing the Raiju's demonic energy to mix with her own aura, what kind of effects would that have on her? It wasn't long until she found the answer. There was a small amount of demonic energy inside of her. Trace amounts, not enough for her to be considered anything other than completely human. But it did change her in a way. Her Semblance had evolved. In addition to becoming stronger when she absorbed electricity, she could now also generate her own using her aura. Normally it would be weak, only allowing for a small increase in power. However, combined with the demonic power coursing through her, it allowed for an exponential increase in power. Such power wasn't without its drawbacks, but that was the furthest thing from her mind at the moment.

Nora and Cu vanished. The street was quickly destroyed by a battle too fast for human eyes. Steel crashed against steel, cars and buildings were destroyed, even stray demons unlucky enough to be caught in the fight were torn apart. The fight had taken them all over the city. Ren used the explosions and collapsing buildings to determine their location. After several minutes of fighting, Nora returned, dragging the upper half of Cu's body.

She threw it to the ground and crushed his head beneath her foot. Cu's laughter echoed throughout the city.

"Well done. I have been defeated once again. It seems that I still have much to learn."

A familiar jingle played from Nora's scroll.

"Congratulations, the Genma Cu Chulainn can now be summoned via fusion."

Nora dropped her hammer and fell to the ground.

"I won," she said, "I don't suppose that you can carry me back. I can't move."

Ren lifted Nora up and carried her on his back. She felt so light, like she was a child again. He listened to her ragged breathing. Her body was still burning hot from the battle, and her heart was beating so fast that he was worried that it would give out.

"You pushed yourself too hard again," Ren said.

Nora let out a dry laugh. "Sorry. Couldn't think of another way. Ren..."

"I know," Ren interrupted.

Human bodies were not built to accept demonic energy, and even a small amount was fatal. Not immediately, but using it at all would start a process that could not be reversed.

Nora was dying, slowly, but surely. It wouldn't be today, or tomorrow, but it will happen, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it.

Ren stopped walking. He could sense enemies all around him, waiting to strike.

"I guess this is as good a place to die as any."

He set Nora down and drew his weapons. The demons emerged from the shadows, dozens of them. They waited, stalking their prey. Their eyes glowed with anticipation.

Ren fired into the horde as they charged him.

But then, the demons were destroyed. Dozens of shafts of light crashed into the ground, incinerating the demons instantly. Ren looked up and saw what looked like people with wings floating in the sky.

Ren could hear footsteps. He saw a group of people approaching. They were Atlesian soldiers escorting a large group of civilians. In the front of the group was a woman wearing a suit. She part of her white hair covered her face, leaving only a single blue eye visible. She was clearly the one in charge. Ren furrowed his brow. Something about this woman looked familiar.

"Be at ease, we mean you no harm," the woman said.

"Thank you for your help, but who are you?" Ren asked.

"I am Captain Winter Schnee of the Atlas Special Forces. Don't worry, we'll get you and your friend the help that you need."


	30. Sword

Roman and Neo walked through the school's basement. None of them were expecting it to be this easy. All of the students and staff were outside dealing with the attack, and either due to hubris or paranoia, Ozpin had no one guard the basement. There was nothing standing in their way.

Eventually, they reached the vault. Normally it could only be opened by a specific code, entered simultaneously by two people. However, neither Roman nor Neo had it.

"Any ideas?" Roman asked.

Loki tapped the vault door a few times. He placed his hand on the door, and it began to frost over. In seconds the door was frozen solid. With a punch, it shattered into pieces.

"That was easy," Roman said. He looked around until he saw the gems floating above the altar.

"These things are what he's looking for?"

Roman picked one up and felt it pulse in his hand. He could feel an immense power coming from within the artifact. He picked up the second one and immediately felt power surging through his body. His vision went white as his mind flashed with images of places he had never seen before. Cities, ruins, armies, angels and demons, and something far greater in the distance. Deeper still, he saw something else. It was incomplete, like a puzzle missing most of the pieces. Smoke was coming off of his clothes when Neo snatched one of the gems out of his hand.

Roman fell to the ground to catch his breath. Blood was pouring out of his nose.

"Holy shit. That's what they're for?"

Neo knelt down next to Roman.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That was one hell of a jolt. And to think that's only with two of them. The things I saw..."

Loki chuckled to himself. "It is a good thing you let go. If you had held on a second longer, the artifacts would have destroyed your mind. I'm afraid you lack the proper qualities to use them. No offense."

"None taken. I was never meant to build, anyway. I've always liked breaking stuff a lot more."

Neo held up a finger.

"Who knows when the last Sector will appear. One thing I can say for sure, it'll be a bloodbath. The angels, demons, and humans all fighting for the last artifact. I can't wait to see it."

Neo pointed at her palm.

"Wait? For what?"

Neo curled her fingers around her eyes. She then pantomimed getting stabbed in the heart.

"Wait until Red gets whacked? Not a bad idea. Come on, let's head back outside. If she's about to bite it I wanna see it for myself."

He pulled out a cigar and lit it. "So, Loki, if you don't mind my asking, what's your angle in all this?"

"It's simple," Loki replied, "I want the same thing that you do: to have some fun. I don't want to be there to see the new world, all I want is to be there as the old world burns."

Roman smiled. "Yeah, I really like you."

XxX

Ruby narrowly avoided the Matador's swing, feeling a stinging pain in her cheek. A thin line of blood flowed down to her chin.

The Matador's attacks were unceasing. Retaliating wasn't an option. It took everything in Ruby just to avoid the barrage of slashes and stabs. The demon was on another level compared to the others. None of them, not Ares, Narcissus, the Minotaur, not even Belial were this difficult.

Ruby's ears rang with the screech of metal. She was barely able to block with her scythe in time. Her body was a wreck. She was exhausted, her hands had lost all feeling in them, and her wrists were on the verge of breaking. Every part of her body screamed for rest. All of her sweating had left her completely dehydrated. Even so, Ruby felt lighter than ever. The sword moved too fast to follow with her eyes, but she could see something else. It was like she could see the attacks a split second before it happened. The demonic energy surrounding The Matador gathered at certain parts of its body when it prepared to attack. Knowing when it was about to strike was the only thing that allowed her to defend herself.

She crouched down and shot towards the Matador. She swung her scythe aiming to take its head off, but missed entirely. The Matador was above her, ready to drive its sword into her head. It was barraged by dozens of spears of ice. When it fell to the ground it narrowly avoided Zhong Que's sword. The Matador's skeletal face seemed to be smirking. It thrust its sword through the other demon's head, killing it instantly. Ruby's Frost Ace cast _Dekaja_ with a snap of its fingers, and the green aura surrounding the Matador's body disappeared. Without its unnatural speed, Ruby was able to drive it onto the defensive.

Unfortunately, the Matador's defenses were just as potent as its offenses. The matador's cape flowed like water in every direction. it could expand infinitely, completely enveloping anything caught in it. Ruby of course was no exception. Every time she attacked, she was engulfed in the red cloth. It was like quicksand. the more she struggled to break free, the tighter the bonds became. She was locked down completely. Her attacks were worthless, and her weapon was slowly breaking down. None of her demons could match The Matador's power.

But that didn't mean Ruby would go down without a fight. She gripped her scythe and felt her aura concentrating around her legs. The ground shattered beneath her as she flew faster than she ever had before. The Matador was caught off guard, and wasn't able to react in time. His left arm was severed at the elbow, and the red cape fell to the ground.

Ruby fell to one knee, panting heavily. All of that, all the cuts and scrapes and the loss of nearly all of her bodily fluids, just for one arm.

It was worth it.

Ruby stood up and pointed at the Matador. "Next I'm taking off your head."

The Matador cackled. "Well done. I recognize your strength. Allow me to fight you with the utmost of my power."

His mouth opened, and Ruby suddenly felt all of her energy leave her body. She could see it, her very life being drained from her. She lost the strength to hold her weapon, and even to stand. She fell to the ground, completely helpless.

The Matador's severed arm floated into the air and flew back to its owner. With its arm reattached, The Matador was as good as new. All of Ruby's efforts were for nothing.

The Matador raised his sword above his head. "You were a skilled adversary to last this long against me, but it is time to end this duel. It has been some time since I have slain one of the heretical beings."

The Matador thrust his sword at Ruby. Ruby closed her eyes and waited for the end, but her ears were filled with the clang of steel striking steel. She opened her eyes and saw that Blake was standing in front of her

"I won't let you hurt any more of my friends," Blake said.

The Matador's skeletal face curled in a grin. "Fascinating, one more sacrifice for the arena. I pray that you can satisfy the audience."

 _Wait,_ Ruby suddenly thought, _I thought Blake was fighting Adam? Is this her Semblance? What's going on?_

Ruby's stomach sank. Something was wrong, and about to get worse.

XxX

Yang was having the time of her life. She had loved fighting ever since she was a child, and she was good at it. She was the strongest at Signal and the second strongest of her year at Beacon. There were very few people who could even put up a fight against her. And ever since she had become a demon her power had only increased.

But that power came at a cost. There was no one who could challenge her, no one who could satisfy her desire for combat. But like a bolt from the blue, Adam appeared. Yang had finally gotten what she wanted. She could have a true fight against someone who could withstand her might. Better still, she could fight as much as she wanted to. Every time her flesh was cut and torn or her limbs were broken, she wanted to sing. There was no other feeling like this in the whole world.

For a brief moment, Yang forgot why she was even fighting this man. She was too caught up in her own joy.

Adam's sword flashed out with the intent to take Yang's head off. Yang dodged the attack, letting the blade scrape against her neck. She countered with a jet of flames that ignited the very air around them. Adam raised his sword and absorbed the flames. A red energy surrounded his body.

Ignoring the possibility of a counter, Yang rushed in. Her fists flew like machine guns, cracking the air with every swing. Adam moved faster than he thought possible and blocked all of Yang's punches with his sword. His blade began to glow from the heat of Yang's blows.

Adam sheathed his sword. His body began to glow. His sword flashed from its sheath. Yang dodged and parried Adam's blindingly fast sword, a wide smile on her face all the while. But in the back of her mind, a problem arose.

Yang and Adam were equally powerful. In a battle between two equal opponents, victory is determined by the proper application of techniques. But, Yang had nothing at her disposal that could work against his defenses. Her best option would be to smash his head, but that would require getting in range of Adam's sword. Adam could take her head off in the seconds it would take to get close enough.

Yang had one shot, and if she failed she was dead. Just how she liked it.

Yang extended her hands and shot out a massive jet of flames. Adam drew his sword to absorb it. The fire consumed everything around him, breathing burned his lungs, his clothes caught fire just standing near the extreme heat.

He felt something on the back of his neck. He turned to the side seconds before Yang could tear out his throat. Adam gripped his sword tight and swung down. Yang struck the blade on its side, sending it off course. It sunk into the ground, splitting it apart. Buildings off in the distance collapsed as the divide grew wider as it traveled.

Yang whistled. "You're pretty good. I've never fought someone like you before. Let's do this all night long."

"I didn't come here to play around, and you're not my type," Adam replied.

He raised his sword to attack, but stopped suddenly. He placed a hand on his ear, like he was listening to something.

"Is that right? Okay, sound the retreat, I'll finish things up where I am."

Adam took a deep breath and placed both hands on his sword.

"Ha!"

With a shout, his demonic energy surged, becoming larger and fiercer than it had ever been.

Yang felt a small pang of irritation. Adam had been holding back this entire time. She clenched her fist and rushed forward. Adam sheathed his sword. His body glowed red, and he unleashed his attack.

In a battle between equal opponents, victory will come down to who is better able to apply their techniques. But what if it isn't a battle between equals? What if one combatant had been hiding their true skill all along? In that case, waiting until the proper moment to reveal a hidden card is almost certain to result in victory. This was a lesson Yang learned long ago. Her semblance often turned the tide in battle. By the time it was unleashed, the enemy was in no condition to defend against it. But, for the first time, Yang found herself on the receiving end of this principle.

She felt a burning pain shooting through her body. Blood splashed along the ground as Adam's sword passed through her right arm. Her eyes widened as she watched it fall to the ground. It was followed by her left arm, then both of her legs, and then the entire lower half of her body.

The pain was unimaginable. Yang's eyes filled with red. She screamed until her voice gave out. She tried to summon her powers, but couldn't concentrate through the agony. All she could do was helplessly thrash about and wait for the killing blow.

Adam smirked. "Still alive? Demons are resilient creatures. Don't worry, I'll make it quick."

Adam raised his sword above Yang's head. He thrust downward, but his blade found black steel instead of Yang's skull. Blake parried Adam's stab and countered with one of her own. Adam felt the shallow cut on his chest and willed it shut.

"I see, this girl is important to you."

"More than you could ever realize," Blake responded.

Through her blurring vision, Yang saw Blake and Adam slowly circling each other. She tried to move, but couldn't. She was completely paralyzed. All she could do was watch.

With every step Blake took, a copy appeared behind her. Soon, ten identical Blake clones stood before Adam. Each one had their swords raised and determination written across their faces.

"You've gotten stronger," Adam observed.

"I'm not the person I was back then," Blake said.

"Neither am I. I was blind before, but I've realized what I have to do. If you knew what what was truly at stake, you would join me."

"I could never be a part of something like this. How could you possibly make a better world if this is what you do to create it?"

"You always were a bleeding heart. But, I never disliked that part of you."

Adam looked up at the sky. "When I was trapped in that place, the only thing that kept me sane was the thought of you. As long as you were with me, I could do anything. I've always loved you, but traveling through hell, I realized that my love was holding me back. As long as I am bound to you, I'll never be able to move forward."

"I loved you too once, but you're not that man anymore."

"Then there's nothing more to say."

Blake's ten copies all attacked at once in a storm of blades and sparks. Adam parried the attacks effortlessly, scanning the crowd for the real Blake. He ducked as a blade sliced just above his head. He stabbed Blake in the stomach. As she fell, another clone materialized and attacked anew. Adam couldn't help but feel a small amount of pride at how much she'd grown in such a short time. She didn't hesitate to try and kill him. All doubt had vanished from her mind.

Adam thrust his sword into the ground, triggering an eruption of red energy that obliterated all of the copies at once. He stood alone in a crater made by his attack.

"So, they were all copies. That was a smart decision, but it means there's only one place the real you could be."

Adam walked to where Blake was busy fighting. As he was walking, he looked down at Yang feebly trying to move, her body still in pieces. She was in the process of regrowing her arms, but it was a slow, painful effort.

"Wait," Yang said, coughing up blood with every breath.

Adam ignored her and kept walking.

XxX

Blake wasn't faring any better against The Matador compared to Ruby. She was capable of matching its speed, but its lethality was another matter entirety. It relentlessly stabbed at Blake. Each one was delivered with the intent to kill. Blake deflected the strikes away from her vital areas, but that was the limit of her ability to defend herself. Blades pierced her legs, arms, and wrists. She grit her teeth as the sword bit into her, but all she could do was endure it. She couldn't afford to use her semblance on non-fatal injuries.

Blood flowed from her wounds. She was running out of time. She aimed her gun at the Matador and fired. The Matador raised its Capote and the bullets sunk into the red fabric. Blake took that opportunity to rush in. She swung both of her swords at the same time, aiming for the demon's neck. The Matador blocked both swings with its own sword. That Blake vanished as another appeared behind the Matador. She held onto her sword with both hands, aiming for the demon's neck.

As she swung, she felt something cut into her. As she was sliced in two, she saw Adam standing behind her. Her copy dissolved and another Blake appeared. Adam waited for the exact moment Blake appeared and fired another red beam at her. Blake blocked it with her swords, too spent to make another clone. When the blinding red light faded away, Adam was standing in front of her with his sword raised. Without a word, he swung down. Blake's eyes went wide as her chest burst with red. She dropped her weapons, and fell to the ground.

Adam wiped the blood off of his sword. "Goodbye, Blake."

Blake let out a feeble cough, and then went limp.

Ruby watched helplessly as Blake was cut down. She couldn't breathe, her entire body was on fire. It felt like she was drowning. Her headache returned, worse than ever.

"Blake?" she whispered, her eyes welling up with tears

She watched as Blake fell to the ground, blood pooling around her body.

"Blake!" she shouted.

That's when it happened. Her eyes suddenly felt as though they'd been torn open, and a blinding white light burst forth. It consumed everyone and everything around, growing larger every second until it covered all of Beacon. Ruby lost consciousness shortly after.

At that moment, the White Fang's assault on Beacon Academy was over. The forces at Beacon had suffered an overwhelming defeat. Many had died, and Beacon's most tightly guarded secret was stolen right from under their noses.

But, what people would remember more than this night would be the actions of the survivors.

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry for the delay. I would have had this done sooner but a lot of has happened to me over the past few months and I needed some time to put my life back together. But I promise that no matter what happens, I will finish this fic. It might not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but I don't like leaving things unfinished. It will be done, but it might take a while.

Moving on from that, I want to talk about how I envision this story. Instead of acts, I envision the story as a series of flags. With this chapter, we've reached a major one. Right now, I'd say this is the midway point of the story. Like I said before, this won't be that long.

Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long. I'll see you all next time.


	31. Paths

Ozpin sat in Beacon's faculty room, surrounded by the other teachers. The room was mostly used for staff meetings at the beginning and end of each term. In the center of the room was a large circular table with enough seats for all of Beacon's teachers. But now, most of the seats were empty.

Beacon's losses were far worse than anyone anticipated. Dozens of students were killed in the attack, many more were injured. Some simply disappeared, never to be seen again. Several of the teachers lost their lives in the battle as well. As Ozpin addressed the room, his eyes kept wandering to the chairs where his friends used to sit.

"I would like to thank you all for coming here. It pains me greatly to see that so many of our allies have fallen. We must look forward to the future, to ensure their sacrifice was not in vain. Now then, Bart, what new information were you able to procure?"

Professor Oobleck stole a glance at Port's empty seat before clearing his throat. "In the days since the attack on Beacon, the White Fang has launched similar attacks on the remaining academies. Both Haven and Atlas have suffered significant loss of life, and Shade Academy has been brought to the brink of destruction. It would appear that General Ironwood's theory regarding a teleporting demon is true. It is strange, however, that no one has reported seeing Adam Taurus since the attack on Beacon."

"I see. It seems that we can no longer ignore the White Fang. If Remnant is to know peace, they must be destroyed. Now then, what of the students?"

Oobleck sighed as he read off of a list. "Fifty-eight students were killed in action, twenty are still in critical condition. Of the critical patients, ten will need extensive treatment, five have received debilitating injuries, three have lost limbs or worse, and two have yet to regain consciousness."

Ozpin knew who one of those two were, but that was something he would deal with later.

"Thank you. I would ask you all for further assistance in the coming days. I fear that we have yet to see the worst of it."

"I understand. If that is all, I have other matters that need tending to."

"Very well. You are dismissed."

The faculty all left the room without a word.

Ozpin stared at the empty table. Six months ago the table was full, Beacon was full of happy students, and Remnant was at peace. But now, everything he cared about was slowly being chipped away, and soon there would be nothing left except him and the bodies. Just as before.

"No, we're not there yet."

he heard the familiar sound of heels clacking on tile and relaxed slightly.

"Back already, Glynda?"

"Yes. Miss Rose and Miss Schnee have yet to regain conciousness. Miss Valkyrie is awake and moving around, but I'm recommending that she stay in the infirmary until we can conduct further tests. And, I'm afraid that no one has seen Miss Xiao Long since..."

"I understand. It is no easy thing to lose someone. I can only hope that she doesn't force us to act."

"On that note, The White Fang have three of the artifacts. Doesn't that concern you?"

"It does, but their true power can only be utilized if all four have been collected. We will simply have to retrieve them before the next sector appears."

"And if we can't?"

"Then the final Sector will be all out war."

"Just like old times. I'm going to speak with James. I understand that he has devised a plan for retaliation."

"Very well. Give him my best. And if you could do me one more favor: please inform me the instant Miss Rose regains consciousness. It is time that we told her the truth."

"Do you plan to tell her everything?"

Ozpin nodded.

Glynda sighed. "Alright. I will let you know."

XxX

What hit Weiss first was how much everything hurt. Every part of her face felt like it was being stabbed with dozens of tiny knives. Every attempt to move her fingers sent lances of pain up her arm. Every breath cut like glass. Weiss noticed that she could only see out of one eye. She felt a piece of cotton over her eye. There was a brief few seconds where Weiss didn't remember why she was in the hospital. Then it hit her harder than Bane did. She shot up in her bed, but immediately felt pain shooting through her body. She winced and grabbed her side. Her flesh was still tender from the beating she had received. She tried to step out of the bed, but felt a hand stopping her.

"I would advise against that for the time being."

Weiss looked up and saw an older woman with long white hair and ice blue eyes. She was smiling, but there was an immeasurable sadness behind it.

"Winter," Weiss said.

"Hello, Weiss. You're finally awake."

Weiss began to panic, yanking at the tubes in her arms and legs. "What happened to Beacon? Where are the White Fang?"

Winter gently grabbed Weiss' arm. "Do not over exert yourself. Beacon is still standing, for now. The White Fang retreated from the battle after they achieved their objective. Unfortunately, several of Beacons students and staff perished in the battle. I am told that they will all be laid to rest with full military honors. But, no one I've spoken to about the fighting were able to tell me where you were. I'd like to know, what happened to you?"

Images of the battle flashed through Weiss' mind. The blood, the wounds, the man's laughter. Her jaw tightened as she remembered every detail of her fight.

"I had him, the man who killed our family. He was right in front of me and I..."

her voice trailed off. Her body shook. She could feel her tears burning her face.

"I couldn't do anything."

Weiss sobbed in her bed, not caring who saw her. She had nothing left, not even her dignity.

Winter gently placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "You are wrong, Weiss. You survived, that alone is enough. If you still draw breath, then you have another chance for revenge. I have already lost so much, I could not bear to lose you as well."

Winter pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away Weiss' tears. "I understand what it's like, to feel powerless. It is a terrible thing, but you cannot allow it to consume you."

It was then that Weiss really looked at her elder sister. She saw the dark circles under her eyes, the deep lines drawn over her face, and the bloodshot eyes that told her that she hadn't slept in days. Weiss had never seen her sister look so worn down, so old.

"Wait," Weiss said. "Where are my friends? I didn't see any of what happened at the campus."

"Ruby Rose is still unconscious. Whatever she did wiped out the majority of the demons surrounding Beacon. Yang Xiao Long is still missing, and while I was informed that Nora Valkyrie was badly injured, she is more than fine now. From what I hear, she has already tried to run from the infirmary five times."

Weiss' brow furrowed. "Wait, what about Blake? Where is she?"

Winter flinched slightly. "That's right, you've only just now woken up. Blake Belladonna was killed by Adam Taurus."

Weiss' insides turned to ice. The room suddenly went dead silent.

Weiss' mind raced. Blake? Dead? That couldn't be possible. Blake was one of the strongest students in their year. She had gone up against criminals, terrorists, giant robots, and her classmates without faltering once. There's no way anyone could defeat her.

"How?" Weiss asked. "How did it happen."

"I am told that she fought to defend both Ruby and Yang. Without her assistance, I am certain that both of them would have lost their lives as well. Blake fought valiantly until her very last moments. She was a true warrior."

Winter rose from her seat. "I'm afraid that this is all of the free time that I am allowed at the moment. I must return to Ironwood's side, so that we may plan our retaliation. I hope to see you again soon, Weiss. Hopefully it will be under better circumstances."

"Wait," Weiss said. "I should thank you for saving me. I would not be alive right now if it weren't for you."

Winter raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't the one who saved you. In fact, I wanted to ask you how you survived. But we can talk about that another time. All that matters to me right now is that you're alive."

Winter left the room, and Weiss laid back in her bed.

 _It wasn't Winter? Then who was it? The last thing I saw was someone with wings. Wait, it couldn't be..._

Weiss reached behind her pillow and felt something soft. She grabbed it and pulled it out. It was a black feather, like she found in her book.

Weiss sighed. This was the third time he had saved her life. She appreciated the help, but her debt to him kept growing larger. It was time she repaid it.

XxX

Yang hadn't stopped screaming for days. She screamed into the sky as jets of flame shot from her mouth. She screamed until her vocal cords shredded themselves from the strain. She screamed as heat radiated from her body hot enough to reduce everything around her to ash. She was consumed by her rage. She dug her claws into her face and gouged out her eyes. She ground her teeth so hard they shattered. She tore chunks of flesh from her body and flung them to the ground.

It was more than she could take. Every time she thought she would be able to calm down, she saw Blake again. She could see Blake's smile, the way her hair flowed in the wind, her face buried in a book, and the way her eyes lit up when she saw fish for sale. But now she was gone. They would never be able to go on adventures together, or train together, or even talk to each other. She would never see her smile or hear her voice again.

Tears burned Yang's face. The wail she had been suppressing escaped from her lips, sounding like the cry of a wounded beast.

Yang could hear the air breaking around her. She didn't need to turn around to see who it was.

"What do you want?" she snarled.

Mara chuckled. "I wanted to see how you were coping. I guess it isn't going well. This is partly my fault, I admit. Adam was far stronger than I anticipated. It seems that allowing you to face him so soon was a mistake. Although, it was entertaining. You are incomplete, but you put up more of a fight than I thought you would."

Yang's eyes went wide. She was certain that she was hearing things.

"What? You knew about Adam?"

"Of course I did. From my realm I can see the whole of this planet."

Yang's rage was returning, boiling her insides. She stood up and glared at Mara, her anger super heating the air around them.

"If you knew then why did you just let it happen?"

Mara simply shrugged. "Because it amused me."

Yang flew at Mara, her body a ball of fire. Her fist was cocked back and ready to strike. Mara sighed and raised her arm. With a slap, she drove Yang into the ground. Yang gasped as every bone in her body was shattered.

"Did you think I was doing any of this out of the goodness of my heart? I simply had a need, and you were there to fill it. If you had died that night, I would have sought out Adam instead."

"You say you know everything, right? Then tell me where Adam is so I can kill him," Yang spat.

"Much as I would like to, I can't. He is the one person I haven't been able to find. Besides, as you are now, he'll kill you for certain. But maybe that's what you want. If you died, you'd be able to see your friend again."

At those words, Yang lost her will to fight. It was true, Blake died because she was too weak. If she were any stronger, Blake wouldn't have had to protect her. Mara was right, she was still too weak.

To make things worse, Blake was right about Adam. He wouldn't stop until he took the entire world. What would stop him from killing Weiss as well, or Jaune, or Ruby?

"Help me," Yang whispered.

"Hm? Did you say something?" Mara teased.

"I need your help. Whatever I have to do to be stronger, I'll do it. I'll do whatever you need me to do, just give me more power. I won't lose anyone else."

Mara's chest swelled. "Very well. I will give you the power you seek. Let us be off."

Mara picked Yang up by her shoulder. With her other hand, she opened up a hole in the air and carried Yang into the demon realm.

"By the way, I think it's time I told you the truth of this world."

XxX

Ruby grunted as she pulled the sword out of Jaune's chest. He stepped backwards, placing a hand over his wound before falling to the ground. Ruby wiped the blood off of the blade and turned to her master.

"Well done," Weiss said. "With that, the final obstacle has been vanquished. There is nothing left standing our way. Come, let us create the new world our Lord desires."

The artifacts floated overhead and began to glow. In seconds, the entire world was engulfed in white. Ruby turned away and went to another scene. She raised her sword and blocked Yang's claws. Yang was grinning like a madman. Her closest ally, her own sister had decided to kill her. How could she not be happy?

"Figures. Ren, Nora, Jaune, Weiss, no way they would have been enough for you. You can't be satisfied no matter how many you kill. I knew you joined me for a reason. You waited until I was at the height of my power to challenge me."

Ruby laughed as she swung her sword at Yang. "A world where only the strong rule is too boring. I want a world of endless war, and destruction. If I can't fight, I might as well be dead."

Yang laughed just as hard. "I guess we finally agree on something."

The scene changed again. Ozpin ran Ruby through with his cane. His disappointment was written across his face.

"I had such high hopes for you."

The scene changed again. Ruby and Jaune clashed swords.

"Please," Jaune pleaded. "Think about what you're doing. Destroying everything? That's madness!"

"I've seen it all, Jaune. No matter what path I choose, it all ends the same. The only way we can be free is to return it all to nothing."

Everything went dark, and Ruby found herself standing before a hooded figure. Their features were obscured in darkness, leaving only their eyes visible. Their silver eyes seemed to glow. The figure raised a hand, and pointed at Ruby.

Ruby's eyes snapped open. The first thing she saw was the blinding infirmary lights.

"Turn those off," she grumbled.

She heard something fall to the floor. Turning her head, she saw Jaune standing next to her bed. There were tears in his eyes, but he was smiling.

"You're awake!" he shouted.

"Jaune? Where am I?"

"You're in the infirmary. You've been unconscious since the battle."

"Really? How long have I been out?"

"It's been four days."

Ruby's mind raced with images of the battle. She recalled all the times she was stabbed, her fingers breaking, and then she saw Blake on the ground, bleeding, not moving, not breathing.

Ruby shot up in her bed. "Blake! Where is she?"

Jaune looked down at the floor. "Ruby, I'm sorry. Blake didn't make it."

"Oh."

Ruby didn't know what to feel. She felt like she should cry, but the tears wouldn't come. Maybe all the horror she had experienced up until now had left her numb to it. That wasn't a comforting thought.

"Yeah, I saw it happen. She saved my life. But I don't want to think about that right now. What about your team, are they okay?"

"Pyrrha and Nora were pretty banged up, but they'll be fine."

"That's good. At least they're okay."

The two of them heard the familiar sound of heels clacking on tiles. The door to the infirmary slid open and Glynda walked in.

"You're awake. I hate to impose upon you, but I'd like you to come with me."

"Where?" Ruby asked.

"The headmaster's office. You probably have several questions and he'd like to answer them. You can bring Mr. Arc if you like."


	32. Truth

Ruby and Jaune stood in Ozpin's office. Ozpin sat behind his desk, his face a complete blank. Glynda stood next to him, waiting.

"So," Ozpin said, "what would you like to know first?"

"How about you start at the beginning?" Ruby said.

Ozpin nodded. "Very well. Many centuries ago, I fought against the demon invasion as Earth's Messiah."

"Wait, what?" Ruby said. "You were a Messiah? Earth is a real place?"

Ozpin chuckled. "I understand your confusion. It is a complicated tale. Now then, when the demon invasion began, Earth was plunged into chaos. Millions died, entire nations collapsed, the world itself was on the brink of destruction. Until one day, when the Artifacts appeared."

"And what exactly are those?" Jaune asked.

"They are fragments of a greater power. If you possess one, you can gain an exponential increase in power. But their true power can only be utilized with all four. To obtain all four is to obtain the mightiest power of all: the power of creation."

"Creation?" Ruby said. "What is that?"

"Exactly as it sounds, the ability to create something from nothing. Imagine if you could reshape Remnant in any way you saw fit, if you could eliminate every demon on the planet with a mere thought, if you could completely rewrite the fundamental laws of this world."

Jaune suddenly smiled. "Wait, that's how we can win. We can use the Artifacts to get rid of the demons and turn Remnant back to normal."

Ozpin sighed. "That is one idea, but what would you do if someone else had a different vision for the world, one you found completely unacceptable?"

"I'd try to convince them to change their mind, and if that didn't work, then I'd have to use force."

"Indeed. As I fought, word of the Artifacts spread. By this point humanity had split into several factions, each one with their own vision for the world they would create, and each one I found repugnant."

"So what happened?" Ruby asked.

"They raised their armies and fought over the Artifacts. They were locked in a stalemate for several months, until I intervened. One by one, I dismantled every faction until none remained. Millions died, and by the end the Earth was so badly ravaged by the fighting that it was left uninhabitable. I used the Artifacts to make a new world, a better one, free of the demons and the conflicts that arose from them."

Ozpin looked down at his desk and sighed. "For a time, Earth was at peace, but it wasn't long before it found itself at war again. Unfortunately, I failed to defeat the demons and ended up losing my life. Somehow, my soul was taken to a different world, one where man and demon lived in a state of constant war. That is where I met Glynda."

Ruby and Jaune both looked at Glynda.

"Really?" Jaune said. "Wait, how old are you?"

Glynda adjusted her glasses. "Incredibly old, Mr Arc. Now then, I will take over this story from here. Miss Rose, I imagine you must be curious about your eyes."

Ruby nodded. "I meant to ask about them a while ago, but a lot happened."

"That's understandable. Your eyes are magical weapons. Specifically, they are anti-demon weapons. With them you can analyze a demon's attributes and weaknesses, defend yourself against their attacks, and bypass all of their resistances and immunities to destroy them. In addition, there is one more ability, a last resort skill of sorts. It's what you used in your last battle."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, but how do you know so much about them?"

"I created them," Glynda replied.

Ruby shook her head. "I'm sorry, I must have misheard you. It sounded like you said that you made my eyes. What, did you do it in a lab or something?"

"I did, but we are getting ahead of ourselves. In my version of Earth, humanity and the demons were locked in a stalemate. For years both sides clashed with neither gaining any ground, until one day a third force appeared and subjugated both sides of the conflict."

"Who?" Jaune asked.

"YHVH."

Both Ruby and Jaune rubbed their ears. They must have been hearing things since there was no way a human mouth could have made the sounds that Glynda just had.

"I understand, everyone has that reaction hearing His name for the first time. But that's beside the point. YHVH is a being of unimaginable power. Many believe that He is the creator of the universe itself. He is the mightiest being in existence. At the time, humanity stood no chance against Him. That is where I came in. In my world, I was a scientist. I studied human biology, genetics, and the occult. To that end, I created the Godslayer Project. I engineered the creation of human weapons, with the power to destroy any enemy, be they demon, angel, or God Himself. In truth, it was something I had worked on for some time, but with Ozpin's knowledge, I was able to bring it into fruition. And so my greatest creation was brought into the world: a race of people in command of a magic that could stand against God, the Silver-Eyed Warriors."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Wait, you're saying I was made in a lab?"

"Well, not you specifically, but your ancestors began their lives as cells in a petri dish. I can recall it like it was yesterday, all those nights in the laboratory, slaving over vials and tubes, wondering if this batch or that one will be my moment of truth."

Glynda smiled and stared off into space.

"Uh, Miss Goodwitch?" Jaune said.

"Oh. Forgive me, I was somewhere else. Anyway, The Silver Eyes are a compendium of various spells that allow the wielder to command great power. As I understand, Miss Rose, you have been able to use some of them already."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, I can see the demons' weaknesses, read demonic writing, and then there was that other thing I did when..."

Glynda nodded. "Indeed, but those are not the only abilities you will be able to use. However, my masterpiece is the greatest spell in your arsenal. It completely obliterates any demon caught in its blast."

Ruby recalled the feeling of using that ability for the first time. It felt like her eyes were being torn apart. "It's powerful, for sure. What exactly is that, anyway?"

"It's a bit complicated to explain. Think of it as an eraser. It destroys demons down to their very core of existence. In all of my years, it is by far the most powerful ability I have ever encountered. Of course, that is at its highest level. You will need to refine your power to reach that threshold."

"I feel like there's a 'but' coming," Jaune said.

"Speaking of which," Glynda said. "When I created the Silver-Eyed Warriors, I embedded a fail-safe within them, as a precautionary measure."

"Which is?" Ruby said.

"Using your powers will kill you eventually. Not anytime soon, in fact without using them you could live well into old age."

Ruby placed a hand over her face. "At this point it doesn't even surprise me. Just add it to the list, I guess."

By contrast, Jaune jumped out of his seat, scowling. "What is wrong with you? How could you do something like that?"

Glynda shrugged. "I sought to make the most powerful weapon the world had ever seen, did you think I would leave even the slightest risk that it would be used against me? On my world, they called it 'planned obsolescence'. It's the same thing, really."

"You're a monster."

"We were at war, and that meant doing the unthinkable. I assure you it's far from the worst thing I've ever done."

Ruby grabbed Jaune's hand. "It's okay, Jaune. I kind of figured something like this would happen." Ruby turned toward Ozpin. "Now then, back to this 'God'."

Ozpin cleared his throat. "As I explained before, God is a being of unimaginable power. He exists in the past, present, and future simultaneously. However, he has one weakness: he is only as powerful as others' belief in him."

"What does that mean?"

"Gods are meant to be worshiped. Faith is a source of great power, and with enough, anything is possible. Glynda and I spent years cultivating our forces, and when the time came to confront God, there weren't enough humans left alive to give for Him to draw power from. The battle was long and hard fought, but we prevailed. But we both realized that simply recreating the world anew would not be enough. So Glynda and I did the impossible. We completely erased the universe, and created a new one in its place."

The room went dead silent. The sheer weight of Ozpin's words seemed to drain all sound from the room.

"That's insane," Jaune said. "You're talking about the entire universe, who knows how many lives, and you just snuffed them all out just like that?"

"We did," Glynda replied. "We took the souls of everyone on Earth and placed them into a container. When we created the new universe, we released them, and allowed it to form naturally. Although no one would call this world of Grimm paradise, it is quite preferable to the world of demons Ozpin and I left behind."

"So what happened?" Ruby asked. "If you defeated God and created an entirely new universe just to get away from Him, then how did all this happen?"

"Perhaps somewhere deep in the minds of men memories of the old world remained. Perhaps I was mistaken in trying to save what remained of Earth. Either way, the collective vestigial thoughts of all of mankind were enough for YHVH to regain His existence."

"Wait," Jaune interrupted. "If what you're saying is true, then only you and Glynda know enough about Him, and I doubt either of you are worshipers."

"You are correct, Mr. Arc. I have a theory: sometime in the future, God will be called into Remnant, and then impose His will upon the world, erasing Remnant's history and placing Himself at the center."

"But why?" Ruby asked. "Who would want someone like that here?"

"Do not underestimate what people are capable of when backed into a corner. Many have turned to God in times of great need. In time, we may have no choice but to do battle with Him. I can only hope that we can prove victorious this time."

Jaune's jaw tightened. "Are you seriously asking Ruby to fight for you after all this?"

Ozpin met Jaune's glare unflinchingly. "I am offering her a choice. Whether or not she takes it is up to you."

"Fight and die or don't fight and everything else dies, some choice."

Ruby sighed. "It doesn't matter. I never expected to survive this anyway."

Ruby rose from her seat. "Thank you for telling me the truth, Professor. I'm going to go lie down."

Ruby and Jaune left the office. Ozpin slumped in his seat.

"That went better than I thought it would. At least no one died."

Ozpin heard a tapping noise coming from the window. He looked and saw a black bird pecking at the window. Ozpin opened the window and the bird flew in and dropped to the floor. The bird grew larger and changed shape, transforming into a human.

"Hello, Qrow," Ozpin said. "It has been quite some time since I last saw you."

Qrow dragged himself to his feet. "Had some people on me."

"I can imagine. The angels will not rest until the Branwen line is wiped out. Did you discover anything while you were away?"

"I think I know where the White Fang are hiding. They're nowhere on this plane, but I felt something near Mistral. It's a huge swell of demonic energy. They might be hiding inside a demon."

"That would explain why we can't find them. Thank you, Qrow. Any lead is a welcome one. While you're here, I believe it would be best for you to speak with Ruby."

"You told her everything?"

"I did."

Qrow let out a heavy sigh. "Much as I'd like to, I can't do that just yet. I've gotta make the most of the time I have left."

"At least allow yourself a moment of rest. I still have need of you."

XxX

Yang sat on the ground as Mara told her story. Very little of it interested her, but at least it gave her something to listen to while her bones mended themselves.

"That story is pretty fucked, if any of it's true," she said.

"I assure you that all of it is factual. I am many things, but I am not a liar. This world is yet another victim of God's madness, and if left unchecked will meet the same fate as all the others. That is the true reason that I sought you out. I am powerful enough to seize the Artifacts myself, but that would draw the attention of nearly all of God's forces. The world would be engulfed in war, enough to wipe out all life on this planet. The angels likely have their own proxy prepared as well."

"It's Weiss," Yang said. "I noticed it a long time ago, but it's the way she smells, it burns my nose. If she's who the angels chose, then I'm gonna have to fight her eventually."

Yang felt her legs heal and stood up. "Mara, what is it you actually want?"

"I want a world free of God's tyranny, but I would be dishonest if I said that I wasn't enjoying this." She looked at Yang and grinned. "I believe it is time for you to hold up your end of our agreement."

Mara grabbed her right arm and tore it from the socket. She tossed it at Yang's feet as blood poured out of her shoulder.

Yang looked down at the fallen appendage and back up at Mara. "Was there a point to that or are you just showing off?"

Mara chuckled softly. "Eat it. Demons grow stronger by consuming other demons. If you wish to seize the Artifacts, then you must gain far greater power than you possess now. Of course, there are very few demons with flesh as potent as mine."

Yang picked up the arm and turned it over. She held it up to her nose and sniffed it. With a shrug, she took a bite of flesh.

"Not bad," she said. Immediately she felt a surge of power throughout her body. It burned, but at the same time it felt pleasant. She greedily ate the rest of the limb, bones and all.

"Alright, what now?" she said.

Mara willed her missing arm to grow anew. "You are powerful, but you do not know how to use the power you have. You are like a dull sword. I will sharpen you until you can cut down anything. Let us begin."

Mara cocked back her fist and let fly. Yang blocked the blow and felt her arm explode. She looked at the bleeding stump and back at Mara.

Mara shook her head. "I have a lot of work to do."

XxX

Weiss looked at her broken scroll. Her only source of power, the only thing that allowed her to fight against the demons, destroyed. She had never found her sword either. everything had been taken from her, even her strength.

But it was not a lust for power that brought her to this place. It was her desire to save this world, and to repay the debt she owed.

She found Mastema praying in a clearing in the forest. Mastema smiled at Weiss.

"Hello, child. What has brought you before me?"

"I have decided, I will create a kingdom of God here on Remnant. You told me that I would have my chance to repay my debt to you, it is time I made restitution."

Mastema's expression hardened. "Are you truly prepared for this? To become a soldier of the Lord is no light task. To become one of our order is to forsake your humanity."

"If I can save this world and spread God's will, then I will gladly cease being human."

Mastema nodded. "Then close your eyes, and place a finger upon your brow."

Weiss did as she was told. Mastema began to chant in a language that even she couldn't understand. Her body was consumed by light that burned away her skin, flesh, and even bones. When the light faded, Weiss was born anew.

Mastema bowed his head. "You are now an angel of light. I am honored to be in your presence."

"Raise your head, Mastema," Weiss commanded. "I need not followers, but allies. If I am going to create a kingdom of God, I will need more to stand at my side. Let us be off."

Weiss rose into the air and vanished in a flash of light.

Weiss Schnee was no more. Only the Archangel remained.

XxX

Ruby laid in her bed. When she first arrived at Beacon, all of her teammates complained about the lack of room. But now it was far too spacious. Blake was gone, Weiss disappeared from the infirmary, and no one knew what happened to Yang.

Ruby desperately wanted to cry, to know that she was still capable of feeling anything other than numb detachment. All of what she learned gnawed at her and weighed on her heart, but she couldn't help but think of it as just another horror that's been inflicted on her. She wondered if this was what Ozpin felt all the time. Did he face one atrocity after another until he was left with nothing inside of him?

Ruby pushed that out of her mind. She recalled Ozpin's words from earlier. What would she do if there were others who had a different vision of the world than she did? Would she be able to fight them? Would she be able to kill them? How much time did she have before the last Sector appeared?

Regardless of what happened, she knew that a lot more people were going to die.

* * *

 **AN:** If you've made it this far then you haven't dropped the fic in disgust, and for that I thank you. Dropping major revelations like that completely out of nowhere is more often than not the work of a total hack, and this is no exception. Truth be told, I had planned on expanding on that a little more, but then I thought that it doesn't really matter. Ozpin and Glynda's stories have very little to do with this one. It's just background radiation.

With that out of the way, the next chunk of chapters are going to be mostly tying up loose ends and setting up future stuff. There's a lot of stuff that needs to be established before we head into the next major arc. The good news is that after that we'll be heading right into the final arc. I told you this wouldn't be a long story. Either way, I'll see you again whenever I upload the next chapter


	33. Tiger

The atmosphere in Team JNPR's dorm was heavy. Jaune had just finished telling his teammates what he had learned from Ozpin and Glynda.

"Poor Ruby," Nora said. "How could anyone do that?"

"I don't know, Nora," Jaune replied. "It sucks. I wish there was something we could do for her. If she keeps fighting, she'll die, but if she stops, then the world is done for."

Pyrrha looked out the window. "What if she didn't need to fight? We could gather the Artifacts ourselves, to take the burden off of her."

Ren nodded. "I had the same idea. If we could end the demon invasion without having Ruby fight, then that'd be the best possible outcome."

"And then what?" Jaune said, with an edge to his voice. "Let's say we gather the Artifacts, what next? What kind of world would you create with them?"

"I just want things back the way they were," Nora said.

Ren nodded. "I agree with Nora. Ridding Remnant of the demons should be our first priority."

"Alright, if that's what we've all decided on. But before we do any of that we have to take out the White Fang. They're the biggest threat to Remnant right now, and I know whatever Adam has in store for the world is something I don't want any part of."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Jaune opened it and scowled.

"What do you want?"

"Hello to you as well, Mr Arc," Glynda replied.

"What are you doing here? Want to brag about more atrocities you and Ozpin committed together?"

"Perhaps another time. I came here because I had a mission for you."

"What makes you think I'll take any kind of order from you after today?"

Glynda placed a hand on her face. "You're right, Mr Arc. I guess we should just allow the demons to ravage Remnant while you get your feelings in order. Perhaps you could explain to the people of Remnant that you allowed them to be torn apart and devoured because you were sad about your friend."

Jaune ground his teeth. "Fine, what do you need?"

"With the destruction of the other Academies has come the death of most of our capable hunters. As such, demon activity worldwide is the highest it has ever been. Several areas around the world have been rendered completely uninhabitable. We have shored our forces and are attempting to establish Vale as a safe zone. Recently, we lost contact with a group of hunters we sent on a suppression assignment. You must find their bodies, and destroy any demons you come across."

Jaune sighed. "Fine, back into another battle, I guess."

Glynda smiled at Jaune. "Onward, Mr Arc, ever onward."

XxX

As they traveled they noticed that the sky was a deep purple. Lightning arced across the clouds, and they could see massive shadows behind them. The world had been completely altered in such a short time.

There was a forest off in the distance. They could feel something powerful dwelling within. With no choice but to press on, they made their way in.

Jaune and his teammates traveled through the forest. There was no sound, not from animals or from demons. The area was devoid of life.

After more walking, they reached a clearing. The ground was blackened with scorch marks, along with the trees.

Nora sniffed at the air. "Do you guys smell that?"

"Smell what?" Jaune replied.

"There was a thunderstorm recently. When lightning hits an area, the air smells different."

"So we're looking for a demon that uses lightning, shouldn't be too hard," Jaune said.

At that moment, a massive bolt of lighting came crashing down from the sky with a deafening roar. The four hunters turned away, fearing that they would go blind.

When the light faded, all four of the hunters stood frozen, eyes wide with a feeling that they couldn't place.

The beast that appeared was a giant tiger, with white fur and black stripes. its eyes where white like clouds. Electricity arced across its fur. Its massive claws dug into the ground.

They all tried desperately not to make a sound, not even taking a breath. If they could they would have willed their hearts to stop beating.

It was not fear that they felt. It was something closer to awe. This creature was death on four legs. It existed purely to destroy and kill. every single part of its body was honed to perfection. They waited, wondering what it would do next.

The tiger began to move, paying no heed to the four children. It made no sound as it slowly made its way past them. As it passed by Jaune, he suddenly felt a burning pain in his stomach. Looking down, he saw blood spilling onto the ground. He turned and saw the tiger walking away, dragging Jaune's entrails along in its mouth.

It lasted for less than a second, but all of the beast's animosity was directed at Jaune. The message was unmistakable:

The battle had already begun.

Jaune, Ren, and Nora summoned their demons. Jaune and Pyrrha charged forward to attack. The tiger swiped at Jaune with its massive claws. Jaune raised his shield to block, feeling the impact deep within his body.

Pyrrha stabbed at the tiger with her spear. The point bounced off its iron fur.

"This thing is tough," Pyrrha remarked.

"Then we'll just have to hit it harder." Nora shouted.

The Nue expelled a noxious, blue colored gas from its mouth, enveloping the tiger with it. Sarasvati strummed her sitar, enveloping JNPR with a rainbow colored light. Kikuri-Hime raised her hands and threw a ball of dark energy at the tiger.

The tiger dodged the attack and roared. The ground glowed with a white light before being bombarded with bolts of lightning. The hunters scrambled to avoid being hit.

Jaune's ears were still ringing when he shouted at his teammates. "Don't get hit by the lightning! It hits hard but it's slow, just avoid its claws."

"Got it," Nora replied. She ran up to the tiger and slammed her hammer into he ground. The explosion blew her into he sky, and she flew down and slammed her weapon down onto the tiger's head. The tiger reeled from the impact. Nora spun and slammed her hammer into the side of its head. The tiger let out a wail of pain.

Nora grinned. "You felt that, huh? Don't worry, I've got plenty more where that came from."

Her body surged with energy, and she battered the tiger with blow after blow. She could feel the tiger yielding under her assault. But something felt off to her. She looked into the tiger's eyes. They were still just as sharp and hard as ever. It was waiting for something.

Nora's muscles reached their limit. Her attacks slowed, and the tiger seized its chance and swiped at Nora with its claws. The attack came faster than she expected, leaving her barely enough time to jump back. The tiger's nails grazed her stomach. Thin, red lines stained her shirt. Nora wanted to kick herself. If she was a second slower getting away, that attack would have torn out her innards.

The tiger raised its paw and licked the blood off its nails. Nora felt irritated. Even if the demon didn't speak, she knew when she was being made fun of.

"Alright," Jaune said. "New plan. Me and Pyrrha will hit it up close. Ren and Nora shoot it from a distance to keep it distracted. Have your demons back us up. We can take this thing down, you guys."

Nora and Ren jumped back and rained bullets and explosives down on the tiger while their demons attacked with their spells. While the tiger was distracted, Jaune and Pyrrha closed the distance and stabbed at the beast. Jaune gripped his sword with both hands and felt his blade sink into the demon's body. The demon roared in pain. Jaune pulled out the sword and saw blood on it.

"Felt that, huh?" Jaune said. "Keep it up, we can do this!"

The tiger dug its claws into the ground and roared. A massive bolt of lightning crashed into the tiger's body. Its glowed white as it faded from view, speeding around the battlefield too fast to keep up with.

Jaune felt a chill. It was going to attack, but there was no way of telling when it would happen.

"Everyone, stay on your guard," Jaune ordered. There was nothing to do but wait. The bolt of lightning sped towards Jaune. His eyes widened as he saw the large, tooth filled mouth flying directly at him. He jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding being torn in half.

Jaune took a moment to catch his breath. He tried to raise his sword, but couldn't feel anything below his shoulder. He saw blood on the ground. Pain shot through his body, and he saw his teammates staring at him, horrified.

His arm was gone, taken by the tiger. The sword was still in his hand. Somehow, he found it funny.

The tiger held Jaune's arm in its mouth. While looking directly at Jaune, he bit the arm in half and swallowed it.

Jaune ground his teeth to keep from screaming.

"Pixie!"

Pixie materialized from Jaune's scroll. She gasped when she saw the bloody stump that her master's arm had become.

"Stop the bleeding," Jaune said.

Pixie nodded and placed her hands on the wound. Her healing light kept Jaune from bleeding out, but he was still heavily injured. They needed to finish this, and fast.

Jaune looked at his teammates. Each one nodded, knowing what they had to do.

The tiger's eyes narrowed. He roared, summoning another volley of lightning. Jaune felt something pull on him, and he was dragged away just before a bolt crashed into him. He stumbled to his feet, only to see the tiger speeding towards him again. He raised his shield to block the tiger's claws, but soon after realized his error. He felt electricity coursing throughout his body. Everything felt like it was burning. He could smell something like meat being cooked, and puffs of smoke were coming off of his clothes.

Ren moved first. His aura swirled around his fist. He aimed for the wound that Jaune had given it and struck with all his might. The impact shattered his arm, but it did enough damage. The tiger's body burst open, spilling its entrails onto the ground. For the tiger, an injury like this could be healed in seconds, but it would have to devote all of its energy towards healing in that time. That was the chance they needed.

Pyrrha raised her hand and activated her semblance, putting more force in than she ever thought possible. Her target was Jaune's forgotten sword. It flew like a rocket and landed point first in the tiger's neck. The sword had pierced the tiger, but it wasn't enough.

Nora leaped into the sky and swung down onto the sword with everything she had. The blade completely impaled the tiger.

Pyrrha motioned like she was grabbing the air. With a grunt of exertion she turned the sword until it completely decapitated the tiger. Its head fell to the ground with a thud, and the tiger fell and disintegrated. Team JNPR fell to the ground in relief.

"That was way too much," Nora said.

Pyrrha wiped sweat from her forehead. "At least we're alive, right Jaune?"

No response came.

"Jaune?"

"Jaune!"

* * *

 **AN: I haven't written about the cast getting screwed over by random encounters in a while. And yes, this is another short chapter. This is actually the first half of a chapter I'm still working on because I've had next to zero time to actually write. I wanted to get at least one last update before the end of the year because I love you all just that much.**

 **I have no idea when the next chapter will be posted because my schedule is completely fucked, but I'll keep plugging away whenever I can.**


	34. Prayer

Jaune's eyes slowly opened. To his surprise, he didn't open them to the blinding hospital lights like he was expecting, but instead to a stucco ceiling with a fan in the center. Stretching out, he got out of bed and looked around. The room was painted blue with small yellow stars, there was a shelf filled with books on one wall, and out the window he could see a large field filled with grazing cattle. Something about this place felt familiar, but he couldn't remember what. With nothing else to do, he decided to explore his new surroundings.

Traveling down the hall he saw that there were pictures hanging on the wall of a family. A very large family judging from the number of children in one of them. In the living room there was a sword and shield hanging above the fireplace. There was something engraved on a bronze plate beneath them, but Jaune couldn't read what it was.

The sounds of something cooking drew his attention to the kitchen. He went in and saw an elderly woman busy at the stove. She was short, with white hair tied into a bun. She was hard at work making breakfast for someone.

"Hello?" Jaune said.

The elderly woman turned and smiled when she saw Jaune.

"Jaune. It's so good to see you again. I thought you'd never visit."

The woman walked up and wrapped Jaune up in a tight hug.

Jaune remembered instantly.

"Grandma!" he shouted, wrapping his arms around the woman and lifting her up.

This was his grandfather's farm. He was granted this land after the Great War. This was where Jaune's father grew up. Jaune would stay in his father's old room whenever he would come to visit.

"It's so good to see you. How have you been?"

Jaune's grandmother smiled. "You've gotten so big, Jaune. You look just like your grandfather. Sit, I just finished making breakfast."

Jaune took a seat at the table and dug into his breakfast. His grandmother made all of his favorites: pancakes, sausage, bacon, hash browns, and a tall glass of apple juice.

"This is delicious," Jaune said. "So, have you talked to mom and dad lately?"

The elderly woman shook her head. "No, I haven't been able to contact them. I do hope that they're safe. The world has changed so much in such a short time."

Jaune frowned. "Yeah, I was just..."

Jaune's voice trailed off. Something was wrong, but he couldn't place it. He tried to remember what he was doing the day before, or how he got to this place, but it was all a blank.

"Grandma, where am I?"

"hm? You're in my home, Jaune."

Jaune racked his brain, trying to remember. His insides turned to ice as the realization hit him.

"Grandma, you died when I was ten. I went to your funeral."

He shot out of his seat. "I remember now! I was fighting a demon, and then I lost my arm and everything went black. Oh god, am I dead?"

Tears ran down the old woman's face. "I'm sorry, Jaune."

Jaune ran for the door. "I can't stay here. I have to go back. My friends are waiting for me."

He threw the door open and saw an infinite darkness in front of him. A frigid wind blew into the house, chilling Jaune to the core.

"Jaune," the old woman said, "it's already too late. Don't fight it, just let go.

Jaune shook his head. "I can't. There's too much left to do, and I can't leave my friends behind."

The old woman sighed. "You sound exactly like your grandfather. He never knew when to quit. But, I never disliked that part of him."

Jaune knelt down and kissed his grandmother on the cheek. "Goodbye. One day I'll be back, but I have to go."

Jaune left the house and traveled into the endless dark. He walked for hours, days, weeks, years. No matter how far or how long he walked he came no closer to any kind of destination. The darkness surrounding him expanded without end. His legs grew weak. He could no longer breathe. With no strength left in him, he fell to the ground.

 _I talked a big game, but look at how I ended up. Looks like this is it._

He chuckled to himself. As far as ways to die go, getting mauled by a giant tiger was pretty cool.

Looking up into the sky, something caught his eye. Somewhere, off into the distance was a faint red light. Something about it seemed out of place. Whatever it was, it didn't belong in this place, wherever this place was.

Then, everything ceased. He no longer heard the howling wind, he couldn't see the sky above him, and he no longer felt the cold.

And then, even his thoughts ceased.

XxX

Ruby ran to the infirmary as soon as she got the call. When she arrived she saw the rest of Team JNPR waiting outside the operation room. Ren's arm was in a cast, his eyes blankly staring ahead at nothing at all. Nora was trying her best to console Pyrrha, who was crying her eyes out.

Ruby didn't even need to ask what had happened. It was a demon. Once again, something precious to her was snatched away.

For hours they waited, none of them saying a word. The ticking hands of the clock were the only sounds they heard. The doors to the operation room slid open and a stern faced doctor walked out.

"Are you all his friends?" he asked.

"More than that," Ren said.

The doctor nodded. "I see. I won't lie to you, his injuries are catastrophic, for lack of a better word. We were able to stabilize him, but I don't see him surviving the night. If there's anything you'd like to say to him, this is your final opportunity."

"No," Nora whispered.

The doctor sighed. "Situations like these are never easy. We need to make notification. Does he have any next of kin?"

"He, oh god," Pyrrha sobbed. "He has two parents and s-seven sisters."

Pyrrha sobbed into Nora's chest. Ruby felt like the floor had fallen out from under her. She leaned against a wall to steady herself.

She walked to a window where she saw him lying in a bed, hooked up to machines that were keeping him alive. His entire body save his face was covered in bloodstained bandages. The steady rise and fall of his chest was the only sign that he was still alive. Every other part of his body was completely still.

Ruby felt a tightness in her chest. It was one thing to hear it, but another to see it. This truly was Jaune. Her closest friend, the very first person she met when she came to Beacon. They had fought together, laughed together, become the best of friends together, and this is how it ends.

It shouldn't have surprised her at all. It wasn't like he was immortal, and this wasn't even the first time she had lost a friend. But, for some reason, seeing him here hurt her in a way she couldn't describe. A naive part of her thought that he was immune to all this. A world without Jaune in it wasn't something she wanted to consider. She had already lost her teammate, her best friend and her sister both disappeared, and now, it was Jaune. She had no one left, no one to fight for.

She didn't realize when she had started walking away, but before she knew it she was back where she usually found herself, sitting on the edge of the dorm building.

Everything was going wrong, and she didn't know if she could fix it. Another part of her wondered if she even wanted to. From what Ozpin had told her, he'd already gone through this twice, and every time it never really worked. It wasn't like she cared if she went down saving the world, but dying for nothing didn't appeal to her at all.

Suddenly, she sensed a presence behind her. It wasn't a demon, but something else. It felt there, but it wasn't. It belonged, but it didn't at the same time.

"You look like you could use a drink."

Ruby gasped and jumped to her feet. She ran towards the voice and threw her arms out.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby shouted. She wrapped him up in a crushing hug.

"Hey, kiddo," Qrow said, slowly running his fingers through her hair. "You've gotten bigger, haven't you?"

Ruby looked up at her uncle. He was even thinner than normal, there were deep lines in his face, and the edges of his hair had gone gray. He looked like he'd been on the edge of death for some time.

"Where have you been?" Ruby asked.

Qrow sat down on the edge of the roof. "I've been busy with some personal stuff. What about you? I heard some things happened while I was gone."

Ruby flopped down next to her uncle. "'Things', that's one way to put it. One of my friends is dead, two are missing, another is hanging on by a thread, the world is on the brink of destruction and I'm probably going to die trying to save it."

She laid back and looked up at the sky. "I don't know what to do. Everything's going wrong and I can't stop it."

Qrow took a drink from his flask. "Sounds like you've got it rough."

"If you say so. What do I do if it seems like no matter what I do things won't get any better?"

Qrow was quiet for a moment. "Your mother asked me the same question once. You're a lot like her, you know. She got knocked down, a lot, but she always got back up. Sometimes, I thought that she'd give up. But, she told me that if her actions could save even one person, she'd never stop fighting."

"But what if there's no saving anyone? What then?"

"You won't know that until you try. That's what your mother said. I admit, I didn't see eye to eye with her. But seeing those smiling faces of the people she saved, I understood why she did what she did."

Ruby felt like she understood. "Uncle Qrow, thanks."

"Any time, kid."

XxX

The sun was setting, but Pyrrha hadn't moved from her seat. Ruby, Nora, and Ren had all gone, but Pyrrha didn't move. She couldn't. She felt like if she did, then he'd really be gone. A small part of her felt like her presence was keeping him alive. She stared at him in his bed. His eyes were still shut, and his body hadn't moved in the hours since he was brought here. The steady beeping of the heart monitor and the slow, heavy machinations of the ventilator were all she heard.

A part of her wanted to think it was a bad dream, that any moment she'd wake up and everything would be fine. There'd be no demons, their friends would still be alive, and Jaune would be safe. But no matter how hard she wished otherwise, this was reality. There was no changing it. No fighting against it.

 _Unless._

She shook her head. She could never go against her friends. They were like family to her. And if Ruby had a way to rid the world of demons, then following her was the right decision.

But, this feeling ate at her. She had never felt so helpless, so weak. This is what it felt like to have everything you cared about stolen from you. This is what normal people felt all the time.

Her mother told her to protect the people around her, but she couldn't even protect her friends. It was a farce to think she could save anything.

"I'm sorry, Jaune. It's all my fault. I should have been stronger, I should have kept you safe. I'd do anything to get you to wake up. I want to see you smile again. I want us to fight together again."

She began to cry. "I want to tell you that I love you. Please, don't leave me. I don't want to be alone again."

The heart monitor suddenly began to beep rapidly. A piercing alarm sounded throughout the room. A group of doctors rushed in, forcing Pyrrha out.

Pyrrha could only watch helplessly as the doctors tried to save Jaune. But, despite all their efforts, it was for naught. The long, steady beep of the heart monitor told the tale. Jaune's heart had stopped.

Pyrrha's breath stopped. It was too much to bear.

Pyrrha didn't understand why, but slowly, she brought her hands together. There was something calling out to her, telling her that this is what she should do. She clasped her hands and closed her eyes. With all of her heart and soul, she begged for her wish to be granted.

 _Please, save him. I'll do whatever you ask of me, just don't let him die. Please, God._

The ground trembled as the room filled with a blinding white light. When the light faded, Jaune was sitting up in his bed, his wounds healed save for his arm. His hair had gone grey, and there were several scars on his body, but he was alive and well.

Jaune looked around the room. "What happened? Did I make it back?"

Pyrrha ran into the room and threw her arms around Jaune.

"You're okay! I was so worried about you."

Jaune smiled. "I gave you all a scare, huh. Sorry, that was my fault. I promise it won't happen again."

"What in the world happened?" one doctor asked.

Pyrrha smiled and squeezed Jaune even tighter. "A miracle."

XxX

Weiss sat upon her throne, looking down upon her servants. She had never asked anyone to serve her, they did so willingly. To serve Weiss was to serve the Lord, and their devotion to God was without question.

"So, you have discovered where the White Fang are hiding?" Weiss asked.

"Yes," Ironwood responded. "They are hiding inside a demon's stomach. We will soon begin our assault and eliminate them."

"Very good. We must retrieve the artifacts before Ozpin or Yang are able to. If possible, I would like to eliminate Yang as well. She is growing at an exponential rate. If left unchecked, her power could rival my own in short time."

Winter looked down at the floor. "Forgive my impropriety, my sister, but what about Ruby Rose? If she is one of the heretical beings, then she could pose a threat to your design."

"You need not be afraid. I have thought the same as well. I am yet incomplete, a part of my human heart still remains. The thought of killing her weighs heavily upon me. Heretic though she may be, I believe that she can be saved. If we can bring her into the Lord's grace, then we will obtain a powerful ally."

Weiss felt the rumblings of the planet. She looked up in the sky and a wide smile crossed her face.

"This is truly an auspicious day."

"What is it?" Ironwood asked.

"Can't you feel it? Our lord has returned."


End file.
